Leopard attacks on humans in the Shirur area are continuously increasing.
Credit: PTI Photo
Mumbai: As residents of Pimparkhed and neighbouring villages set ablaze a vehicle and staged a blockade of the Pune-Nashik Highway because of back to back leopard attacks, the Maharashtra Forest Department (MFD) has ordered “capture or elimination” of the animal.
The Pimparkhed village is located in the Shirur tehsil in Pune district of Maharashtra.
Shirur Lok Sabha MP and NCP (SP) leader Dr Amol Kohle has taken up the cause of the local residents.
The MFD decision came after protests erupted in Pimparkhed village following the death of a boy while returning home on Sunday.
This was the second fatal attack in the same village in 20 days, and the fifth human death due to leopard attacks in Junnar Forest Division since April this year.
Staging protests on Sunday, the villagers set ablaze an MFD patrol vehicle and vandalised the Quick Response Team (QRT) base camp near the village.
Besides, on Monday, the Pune-Nashik Highway blockade was also undertaken by the villagers.
The MFD has deployed 25 cages, 10 trap cameras, and drones to track the animal’s movements. On the other hand, teams are conducting awareness drives to caution villagers and reduce panic.
The human-leopard conflict is a cause of concern,” Dr Kolhe said, adding that a comprehensive plan to address the issue will be chalked out soon.
“Leopard attacks on humans in the Shirur area are continuously increasing. In the last two months, this crisis has intensified further, with four innocent lives lost in leopard attacks. Apart from this, the Forest department has captured seven leopards in the last few days. However, given the ongoing attacks, there is a strong possibility that a man-eating leopard is still present in the same area,” Dr Kolhe said.
“This has created an atmosphere of fear among the local citizens. With the leopard's presence right in the vicinity, there is apprehension that it could attack more people. In this situation, identifying the man-eating leopard and eliminating it has become extremely necessary,” he added