Mumbai: An adult male leopard was once again spotted inside the Raheja Heights residential complex in Dindoshi, Goregaon (East), during the early hours of Saturday. This marks the third leopard sighting at the complex within a month. While no injuries were reported, the Thane (territorial) forest department has installed a new cage trap at the site.
Background of the Sightings
Located on the edge of Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP), the Raheja Heights complex first recorded a leopard on its CCTV surveillance system on March 17 this year, when a stray dog was attacked by the predator. In the latest incident, the leopard was seen casually walking in the parking area between 2 am and 2:15 am before being chased away by guards blowing whistles. No one was harmed.
Resident Concerns and Precautions
A concerned local resident stated, “The leopard usually jumps into our society from the adjoining municipal garden. We have urged the authorities to set up fencing to prevent the leopard from entering our complex. We are following all precautionary guidelines from the forest department to avoid human-animal encounters. Children are not allowed to play outside after sunset because the leopard prefers to come at night.”
Expert Opinions on Fencing and Traps
Honorary wildlife warden and founder of Resqink Association for Wildlife Welfare, Pawan Sharma, cautioned against fencing. “It may not be a good idea to set up fencing at Raheja, because the leopard may find another route to enter the complex and then not find a way out. That could become dangerous.” Sharma added that the same male leopard likely makes multiple visits to search for prey, as leopards are territorial animals.
Activist Roshan Pathak, Animals Rights Advisor of In Defence Of Stray, commented, “Since humans are building more structures adjacent to SGNP, wildlife from the forest will inevitably spill out. There is no buffer zone between the forest and urban settlements. People should learn to live with leopards by following forest department guidelines.” Wildlife experts have also questioned the use of cage traps at the Dindoshi site, as the visiting leopard has not harmed any humans.
