A leopard caused panic in Nanded's Naigaon area on Saturday evening when it attacked and injured two individuals, including a forest department staff member, marking the first official sighting of the big cat in this industrial region.
First Leopard Sighting Confirmed in Industrial Area
Honorary wildlife warden for Nanded Atindra Katti confirmed that this was the first time a leopard had been spotted in Naigaon. The incident occurred behind a cement factory in the industrial zone where the leopard had been hiding.
According to Katti, "A worker from the industrial area had gone behind a cement factory where the leopard was hiding. In the sudden face-off, the leopard jumped upon the man before fleeing."
Second Attack During Crowd Management
Soon after the initial attack, local residents gathered at the scene, prompting forest department officials to arrive and manage the crowd. During these crowd control efforts, the leopard launched a second attack.
"A driver of the forest department vehicle was among the staff that was managing the crowd. The leopard was leaving the MIDC area and attacked the driver on its way to a nearby habitat," the official explained.
Victims Receiving Treatment, Cages Deployed
Both injured individuals were immediately rushed to a nearby hospital where they received necessary medical treatment. The forest department has installed cages in the area to capture the leopard safely.
Authorities emphasized that this sighting should not be interpreted as a man-animal conflict situation. They clarified that "The MIDC has large barren land where dense vegetation has come up. The leopard considered it as its habitat."
The leopard holds significant protection status, being listed as 'Vulnerable' in the IUCN Red List and included in Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, which provides the highest level of legal protection for the species in India.
