Leopard spotted near Durga Devi hill in Pimpri-Chinchwad; search op on

“The leopard has not attacked any human yet, and efforts are ongoing to trace its exact location. During summer, due to scarcity of food and water, leopards tend to wander into newer areas in search of prey. That stretch of dense forest near Durga Devi hill is ideal for them to rest and stay concealed,” he said, adding that police and local residents have been advised to take necessary precautions.

The Forest Department is expected to decide shortly on deploying cameras to monitor the animals’ movement and plan the next course of action.

This is not an isolated incident in the Pimpri-Chinchwad region. In February 2025, a leopard strayed into the densely populated Nigdi Pradhikaran neighbourhood, sending residents into a panic. The adult male, estimated to be around six years old, was first picked up on CCTV cameras in the early hours of the morning, pacing along the boundary wall of a residential bungalow – just metres away from a park where children had been playing.

A multi-agency rescue operation that followed lasted several hours before the leopard could be tranquillised. It was then transported in a rescue ambulance for medical evaluation at the Wildlife Transit Treatment Centre in Bavdhan.