Another leopard sighting at Pune Airport premises, additional camera traps installed 

“On November 25 at dawn, local staff at the Pune Airport once again reported the sighting of a leopard. Earlier, three camera traps had been installed, but none of them had recorded any evidence of the leopard. Accordingly, five new camera traps have been installed today at various locations where leopard movement is likely. With these additions, the total number of active camera traps has now increased to eight.” said Deputy Conservator of Forest for Pune Mahadev Mohite.

“Similarly, three trap cages have also been placed at strategic points to ensure effective monitoring and possible capture if required. This entire operation was carried out in the presence of field officers and staff from the Pune Forest Range, wildlife rescue experts of the RESQ Charitable Trust, and officials of the Indian Air Force.” Mohite added. These sightings have not affected any defence or civilian flying operations, officials have said.

On Monday morning, a joint field visit was conducted in the Pune Airport area regarding the leopard sighted recently. During this visit, the joint team inspected the location where the leopard had earlier been spotted on November 19. A thorough inspection of the various tunnels in that area was also carried out. The Indian Air Force has completely sealed these tunnels, ensuring that the leopard is not hiding inside them, forest department officials have said. Officials have however cautioned of the high possibility that the animal may be sheltering in the surrounding vegetation.

Meanwhile in Aundh area, no fresh sightings have been reported since the morning of November 23 when the leopard was spotted in RBI Colony and the adjacent Sindh Society around 4 am. “We have been receiving multiple calls about the sightings. All these reports have been checked and have been found to be unsubstantiated.” said an officer who is part of the Aundh operation. Officials conducting search operations after leopard sighting in Aundh have said that an increasing number of AI generated leopard images are being circulated in housing society groups and on social media, which create unnecessary fear and, more importantly, delay real response efforts.

The sighting on November 19 had come months after a leopard was sighted on the Pune Airport premises in April earlier this year prompting a search operation at the time. The Forest Department had at the time held meetings with the Indian Air Force authorities and asked them to exercise caution in their operational and residential enclaves. Pune airport and defence authorities had said at the time civilian and IAF flying operations were not affected in any way. However after days of efforts and search operation, no leopard was trapped in spite of multiple sightings on the camera traps.

Pune International Airport operates as a civil enclave within the Indian Air Force’s Lohegaon Air Base, sharing a single runway for both military and civilian flights. The airside operations are coordinated between the Airports Authority of India (AAI) and the IAF, with designated time slots and operational spaces ensuring safe and efficient use of the runway and taxiways for both sectors.

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