In a significant development following a tragic series of incidents, the Forest Department in Maharashtra's Junnar taluka has successfully captured a male leopard. This action comes just a day after an eight-year-old boy was killed in a leopard attack, marking the third fatal assault on a child in the region in recent weeks.
Capture at the Scene of the Attack
The leopard was captured on Tuesday evening, around 7:30 PM, in a trap cage placed at the exact location in Mangrul Pargaon village where the Monday morning attack occurred. The victim, Rohit Babu Kapare (8), was attacked around 11:30 AM on Monday. Forest Department officials stated that the captured animal is a male, aged between five to six years.
"It is highly likely that it is the same leopard, as this animal tends to return to the same location," said an officer from the Junnar Forest Department. To confirm its involvement in the fatal attack, samples collected from the boy's wounds and from the captured leopard have been sent for DNA analysis.
A Spate of Tragic Attacks
The Junnar Forest Division has been grappling with a sharp rise in human-leopard conflict. Between October 12 and November 1, three people lost their lives in separate attacks in two villages of neighbouring Shirur taluka.
- Shivanya Bombe (5) was killed on October 12.
- Bhagubai Jadhav (70) died on October 22.
- Rohan Bombe (13) lost his life on November 1.
These incidents, which triggered public outrage, occurred in Pimparkhed and Jambut villages. Notably, Mangrul Pargaon village in Junnar, the site of Monday's attack, is just six kilometers away from Pimparkhed.
Response and Escalating Measures
Following Monday's attack, the Forest Department had sought permission to eliminate the leopard responsible. In response to the crisis, a multi-pronged strategy was deployed in the area. Multiple Forest Department teams heightened patrolling, installing 15 trap cages and 10 trap cameras around Mangrul Pargaon.
The captured leopard has been sent to the Manikdoh Leopard Rehabilitation Centre. The issue has reached the highest levels of the state government. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, after reviewing the escalating conflict in a meeting on November 18, directed officials to prepare a proposal to declare the crisis a state disaster.
He has also sought a proposal to shift the leopard from Schedule I to Schedule II of the Wildlife Protection Act and directed the setting up of two more leopard rescue centres in Pune district to manage the growing conflict.
