Camera traps capture leopard at airport premises at night, search ops continues

On Monday night, a sighting of a leopard was reported on the premises of the Pune International Airport. The Pune Forest Department subsequently deployed two trap cages and seven camera traps during the night and used a dog squad to identify areas where the leopard is most active. Pune airport and defence authorities have said civilian and IAF flying operations have not been affected since the sighting.

When a team from the forest department was installing cameras, the leopard was sighted once again on airport premises around 8 pm Monday.

“On the intervening night of Tuesday and Wednesday, the movement of the leopard was recorded by trap cameras and also on the still cameras that we have installed near the trap cages. We have now identified a specific area where we know that the leopard is present. This area is on the side which is under operational control of the Indian Air Force. The leopard has not ventured into the area for civilian operations in the last two days since its sighting.” said Mangesh Tate, Assistant Conservator of Forest for Pune Division.

“We have held meetings with the Indian Air Force authorities and have given them guidelines to be adhered to for both residential and operational enclaves, which are not far from each other. The Airport and Air Force authorities have extended all the help for our search operation.” added Tate. “We are in the process of installing one more cage, taking the number of cages to three. While the operation may take some more time, we are confident that we will be able rescue the leopard safely. All possible resources have been pressed into action.” Tate said.

Forest officials said that the most likely scenario was that this leopard ventured into the airport area from nearby agricultural fields. In the absence of a major forest area nearby, the leopard is most probably an inhabitant of agricultural fields nearby, the officials have said.

This is not the first time big cats have been spotted near human habitation in Pune. Leopard sightings in urban areas have become increasingly common, especially during the summer season. In February this year, a leopard that had wandered into a public park in the residential area of Nigdi was tranquilised and rescued through a coordinated multi-agency operation. Forest officials said the six-year-old male leopard had entered the residential neighbourhood from the nearby Durga Hill, where leopard sightings were reported in the past.