Leopard Attack Sparks Outrage in Pune; Capture and Elimination Ordered

A day after a tragic incident where a 13-year-old boy died in a leopard attack in Pune district, agitated locals responded by setting a forest department vehicle on fire. In response, authorities have now ordered the capture and "elimination" of the leopard responsible.

Forest officials have deployed a team of five sharpshooters in the affected area.

Residents from leopard-affected areas such as Junnar, Ambegaon, and Shirur organized a "rasta roko" (road blockade) near Avsari on the Pune-Nashik Highway to protest the increasing frequency of these big cat attacks.

In the past month alone, three individuals have died from leopard attacks in Shirur, heightening local demands for measures to mitigate human-animal conflicts.

"We are conducting a camera trap exercise today. Swabs will be collected from leopards caught during the tranquilizing process to identify those involved in recent fatal attacks. The samples will be sent to labs for DNA analysis, and if a match is found, the specific leopard will be eliminated," stated Smita Rajhans, Assistant Conservator of Forests for the Junnar forest division.

She also revealed that the principal conservator of forests has issued "shooting orders."

"Today, a team equipped with tranquilizing and normal guns will be setting traps to capture the leopards. These leopards will be held at a rehabilitation center for swab collection," she added.

On Sunday, a leopard attacked and killed Rohan Bombe (13) in Pimparkhed village, where he was playing near farms. Following this, angry locals burned a forest department patrol vehicle and protested outside the department's base camp.

According to the Wildlife Institute of India, the Junnar forest division in Pune hosts 6 to 7 leopards per 100 sq km.

The area's ample water supply, growing human population involved in agriculture, and increasing number of domestic animals have created a favorable environment for leopards to settle in these farmlands.