Leopard Spotted Again at Pune Airport; Forest Department Issues Alert to Civil & IAF Authorities
New Rules at Pune Airport: Fine for Vehicles Lingering Beyond 15 Minutes
Pune | November 23: A leopard has been sighted twice within the premises of Pune International Airport on November 19, prompting the forest department to issue a caution advisory to both the Airports Authority of India (AAI) and the Indian Air Force (IAF). Officials said the big cat was spotted at 5:30 am and 7:40 pm near Bay Number 9 and close to Taxi Link K4.
According to the forest department, monitoring of leopard movement has been underway for the past 15–20 days in the Lohegaon village jurisdiction. To track and safely capture the animal, authorities have installed a trap cage and multiple camera traps in the area.
Precautions for Sensitive Airport Zones
In a press note issued Saturday night, officials confirmed that precautionary measures have already been shared with both civil and IAF authorities. They have been urged to immediately implement these steps to prevent the leopard from entering high-security and restricted zones of the Lohegaon Air Base and airport premises.
Pune International Airport functions as a civil enclave on the Indian Air Force’s Lohegaon Air Base, sharing the same runway for military and commercial operations. Coordination between the AAI and IAF ensures safe airside movement, making wildlife intrusions a critical safety concern.
Earlier April Sighting
This is not the first instance of a leopard entering the airport area. On April 28, a similar sighting triggered a large-scale search operation. The forest department then deployed two trap cages, seven camera traps, and even used a dog squad to identify active zones. Despite multiple camera sightings, the leopard was not captured, though flight operations for both civilian and IAF sectors remained unaffected.
The Forest Department has already conveyed to the Airport Authority the necessary precautionary measures to prevent the leopard from entering the restricted premises of the Air Force and Airport.
It is therefore essential that both these authorities immediately implement the measures suggested in order to prevent the leopard from entering these sensitive zones.
Mangesh Tate Assistant Conservator of Forests Pune
The forest department has now intensified monitoring to avoid any threat to passengers, airport staff, and defence operations.
