Junnar Division Seizes Four Leopards Amid Safety Concerns
Junnar Division Seizes Four Leopards Amid Safety Concerns
The Junnar forest division has successfully captured four leopards, all between the ages of five and six, in the Pimpri Pendhar, Otur, and Lendesthal areas. Officials have indicated that one of the two leopards apprehended in Pimpri Pendhar may be linked to the death of 40-year-old Sujata Dere, who was attacked on October 9.
“We have installed 30 trap cages and 15 trap cameras. We caught one leopard on October 10, just a day after the deadly attack. However, the other leopards fled the area due to local disturbances. Six days later, we captured the second leopard in Pimpri Pendhar,” stated range forest officer Pradeep Chavan.
The other two leopards caught in Otur and Lendesthal have been transferred to the Manikdoh Leopard Rescue Centre. The leopards captured in Pimpri Pendhar also underwent DNA testing before being sent to the same centre.
In the meantime, the forest department is still searching for the leopard responsible for the death of a seven-year-old boy on October 18. They have deployed thermal drones in the area to assess the leopard population, after which a systematic approach will be established for their capture.
Officials have advised villagers to avoid going out alone and to carry torches and sticks for their safety.
