Pune: Leopard Responsible For Three Deaths In Junnar Region Shot Dead
Pune: Leopard Responsible For Three Deaths In Junnar Region Shot Dead
Pune, November 5, 2025: Tension gripped the Junnar, Shirur, Ambegaon, and Khed talukas after a series of tragic leopard attacks claimed three lives in the past 20 days in Pimparkhed village and nearby areas. The victims included 5-year-old Shivnya Shailesh Bombe (October 12), 82-year-old Bhagubai Ranganath Jadhav (October 22), and 13-year-old Rohan Vilas Bombe (November 2).
Following the death of young Rohan Bombe, enraged villagers took to the streets, blocking major highways and staging intense protests. On November 3, locals blocked the Pune–Nashik Highway for nearly 18 hours, demanding immediate action against the man-eating leopard. The angry mob also set ablaze a forest department patrol vehicle and the local base camp building at Manchar, expressing their outrage over the recurring leopard attacks.
In response, Pune’s Forest Conservator Ashish Thackeray urgently sought permission from the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife), Nagpur, to capture or eliminate the leopard. A rescue operation was then launched by a specialized team led by veterinarian Dr. Satwik Pathak and sharpshooters Zubin Postwala and Dr. Prasad Dabholkar from the Pune Rescue Organization, under the supervision of the forest department.
Camera traps and thermal drones were deployed to track the predator’s movements. Around 10:30 p.m., the team spotted the leopard approximately 400–500 meters from the incident site. An attempt to tranquilize it with a dart failed, causing the animal to charge aggressively. The sharpshooter team was then compelled to open fire, killing the five-to-six-year-old male leopard on the spot.
After confirming its death, the forest team presented the leopard’s carcass to local villagers before transporting it to the Manikdoh Leopard Rescue Centre for postmortem examination.
The entire operation was conducted under the guidance of Forest Conservator Ashish Thackeray, with active participation from Deputy Conservator of Forests (Junnar) Prashant Khade, Assistant Conservators Smita Rajhans and Amrit Shinde, Forest Range Officer Nilkanth Gavhane of Shirur, and the rescue team, with crucial support from local villagers.
