Video: Leopard Injures Seven in Nagpur’s Pardi Area; Rescue Team Faces Dangerous Challenges Amid Resource Shortages
Video: Leopard Injures Seven in Nagpur’s Pardi Area; Rescue Team Faces Dangerous Challenges Amid Resource Shortages
Chaos erupted in Nagpur’s Pardi locality on Wednesday morning as a leopard wandered into the densely populated Shiv Nagar neighbourhood, injuring seven residents. One victim remains in critical condition and is receiving treatment in the intensive care unit of a local hospital. Videos circulating on social media show the leopard climbing rooftops and peering into homes, alarming residents in the area.
Officials from the Transit Treatment Centre (TTC) in Seminary Hills successfully captured the animal after a tense and risky operation. According to authorities, the team received a distress call around 6:15 am. Preliminary reports indicate that the leopard likely entered the area overnight and became agitated as daylight approached. While trying to escape, the animal attacked several residents before finally taking shelter in a narrow space beside a house near an air cooler.
Tranquillising the leopard proved difficult due to the congested lanes and poor visibility. The rescue team had to fire two darts before the animal could be sedated safely. The leopard was then transported to the TTC for further treatment and observation.
The operation faced additional complications when the leopard attempted to attack TTC personnel during the rescue. Furthermore, the vehicle transporting the sedated animal broke down midway, forcing officials to arrange a smaller rented vehicle to complete the transfer.
A senior TTC official highlighted serious concerns about inadequate resources and the safety of rescue staff. “Most of our rescue workers are contract-based, earning modest salaries and working without insurance. If any of them gets hurt, no one is accountable. Today alone, three of our members were attacked,” he said.
#WATCH | Nagpur, Maharashtra: A leopard entered the residential area of Pardi locality, injuring 7 people. pic.twitter.com/TUGdBrr6oL
— ANI (@ANI) December 10, 2025
He also pointed to chronic underfunding of the Nagpur forest division, “Every year we request basic operational funds, yet significant allocations go to cities without real forest cover. Our vehicles are overdue for servicing, and we don’t even have proper uniforms or protective shields. During today’s rescue, we had to rely on police shields instead.”
Despite these challenges, the official emphasised the commitment of the team, “Our staff is capable and dedicated, but we urgently need basic protective gear and proper facilities to safely conduct these high-risk rescues.” He also noted that larger cities often receive more government attention for wildlife conflicts, leaving Nagpur overlooked despite the city’s proximity to forests: “When such incidents occur in Mumbai, Pune, or Nashik, they quickly become matters of concern. But Nagpur continues to be neglected even though wildlife frequently moves near the city.”
#WATCH | Nagpur, Maharashtra: The Forest Department Rescue team successfully rescued the leopard that entered the residential area of Pardi locality in Nagpur. https://t.co/WW0sjl2SDF pic.twitter.com/MPLNN92tDl
— ANI (@ANI) December 10, 2025
Later, Maharashtra Forest Minister Ganesh Naik visited the injured residents and reassured the public that all of them were now stable. “I sincerely hope such incidents do not recur. Our priority is to keep leopards within forested zones. But if one strays into a city, the forest department will alert residents and take necessary action. These systems are already in place. Leopard-related incidents are occurring across the state, and we are taking steps to manage them,” he said.
On the topic of controlling the rising number of leopard attacks, Naik added, “Limited permission has been granted for leopard sterilisation as a short-term trial. Within six months, we will assess its effectiveness. If successful, we will seek approval from the Central Government to expand the program. I am confident it will work.”
Just a day earlier, during the winter session of the Maharashtra legislature in Nagpur, the minister had announced another initiative to prevent leopards from entering human settlements: releasing goats into forested areas to ensure leopards have sufficient prey within their natural habitat.
