Six injured after locals attempt to capture leopardess in Pune district

Pune: At least six people were injured while attempting to capture a sub-adult leopardess in an unsafe manner in Maval tehsil of Pune district on Friday morning, a forest official said.

A leopardess climbed a tree at a camping site near Pavana Lake in Wadgaon Maval around 8 am, and instead of waiting for the big cat to leave, locals attempted to capture it, creating chaos, the official said.

He said the commotion, including from barking dogs, agitated the leopardess, and when she came down from the tree, the crowd tried to restrain her.

The big cat became aggressive and injured six people, he said.

He said forest officials later rescued the animal and sent her to a rescue centre in Bavdhan.

"A sub-adult leopardess, weighing 27 kg, likely climbed the tree after being startled. People panicked and started making noise while dogs barked incessantly. As the animal descended, people tried to capture it, leading to aggression and injuries," said Mahadev Mohite, deputy conservator of forests (DCF), Pune range.

He said if the crowd had remained calm and given the animal space, it would have left the area.

The official said locals used ropes and nets to capture the leopardess.

"If the animal had been a fully grown adult, the situation would have been far more dangerous," he said.

Despite warnings from forest officials to remain calm, many in the crowd ignored the instructions and were more keen on recording videos of the leopardess.

The injured persons were taken to a hospital for treatment, he said.

"Prima facie, it appears that the locals violated the Wildlife Protection Act by using dangerous methods to capture the animal and harassing it. An offence has been registered," he said.