A leopard has been sighted once more within Pune city limits, this time in the residential localities of Pashan and Sutarwadi in the early hours of Friday, December 5, 2025. The visual evidence, captured on multiple CCTV cameras, has rapidly circulated online, prompting an immediate response from the authorities.
Visual Proof and Official Confirmation
Mangesh Tate, the Assistant Conservator of Forest, confirmed the authenticity of the leopard sighting. He stated that surveillance operations are actively underway in the affected zones. The viral CCTV clips show the wild cat exhibiting natural behavior in the urban landscape; one footage records the leopard ambling between parked cars in a lane at 4:12 am, while another captures the agile animal leaping over a gate and a compound wall.
Search Operations and Public Advisory
In response to the incident, teams from the Forest Department, aided by experts from the ResQ Charitable Trust, have initiated a search in the Pashan area. As a precautionary measure, trap cages have been strategically placed at specific locations. Officials have made a fervent appeal to citizens to maintain calm and refrain from spreading unverified rumors. They have issued a specific warning about the circulation of fabricated, AI-generated images of leopards, which are capable of inciting unnecessary panic among the local populace.
A Pattern of Recent Sightings
This incident is not isolated. Earlier in the same week, the leopard was reportedly seen in the Bavdhan area along the Pashan NDA Road on the night spanning Sunday and Monday. An officer noted that this zone is commonly used by residents for their morning and evening walks. The current sighting follows a series of similar reports from last month:
- On November 19, a leopard was seen within the premises of Pune Airport.
- On November 23, sightings were reported in the RBI Colony and Sindh Society in Aundh.
- Another sighting occurred at Pune Airport on November 25.
Since those November incidents, no fresh sightings had been reported in the Aundh area or at the airport until this latest occurrence in Pashan and Sutarwadi. The forest department continues to monitor the situation closely, balancing wildlife safety with public security.
