Leopard Spotted Again at Pune Airport; Forest Officials Begin Capture Efforts
Leopard Spotted Again at Pune Airport; Forest Officials Begin Capture Efforts( Old Pics for Representation Purpose)
Pune: A leopard has been spotted once again inside the Pune airport premises, marking its return after nearly three months. Forest department officials confirmed that the animal was seen twice this week, including near the airport taxiway around 1.30am on Friday. Another sighting was reported early on Saturday.
The presence of the leopard did not affect any flight operations. Officials believe it is the same animal that had been roaming the airport area a few months ago.
Chief Conservator of Forests, Pune Circle, Ashish Thakare, said that four trap cameras have already been installed to monitor the leopard’s movements. “We will also set up trap cages. The leopard seems to be using the tunnel network under the Air Force station to move around,” he added.
Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol has directed forest officials to speed up the capture operation by working closely with airport authorities and the Indian Air Force (IAF). He is expected to review the situation in a meeting on Sunday. A source said that instructions have also been given to increase lighting around the runway and taxiway to prevent further incidents.
