Pune: A leopard sighting within the RIT College campus on Lohegaon-Wadgaon Shinde Road sparked widespread alarm on Monday (August 12) morning.
The incident prompted immediate action from both the Forest Department and the Fire Brigade, who launched a coordinated search operation to locate the animal.
The RIT College campus, known for its dense greenery, is located near the Indrayani River, which flows close to the nearby Wadgaon Shinde village. It is suspected that the leopard may have strayed into the campus from the river area.
Following the report, teams from the Forest Department and the Fire Brigade swiftly arrived at the scene to initiate the search. However, despite their efforts, the leopard remains at large, according to Fire Brigade Station Officer Subhash Jadhav.
In a separate incident in Nirgudsar, a leopard that had been eluding the Forest Department's trap for eight days was finally captured on Monday (August 12) morning in a cage set up in Valti's Bighe farmland.
The four-year-old male leopard was reported to be extremely aggressive and has since been transferred to the Manikdoh Leopard Rescue Center for rehabilitation.
The successful capture of this leopard has provided relief to the residents of the area. However, locals remain concerned as it is believed that two to three more leopards are still in the vicinity. The community has urged the Forest Department to continue its efforts to ensure their safety.
Eight days ago, a leopard had attacked and carried off a pet dog from Maruti Bhor's porch in broad daylight. The same leopard also killed a sheep belonging to a local shepherd.
Since then, residents had been frequently spotting the leopard, leading the Forest Department to set up the cage. The successful capture of the leopard has brought a sense of relief to the local community.
