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Journalism of Courage
Within a span of 24 hours, three leopards were captured in trap cages installed in the Shirur range of Pune district, including one sighted on the premises of the Fiat Automobiles plant in Ranjangaon. The Shirur range of the Junnar Forest Division has witnessed a sharp rise in human-leopard conflict in recent weeks, with three people – including two children – killed between October 12 and November 1.
According to officials from the Shirur range, a report of a leopard sighting on the Fiat Automobiles plant premises in Ranjangaon was received in the early hours of Wednesday. Following the sighting, forest officials advised the company management to take a series of precautionary measures. The leopard was suspected to have entered the premises from a nearby forest or an adjacent agricultural field that has recorded leopard presence. A trap cage was subsequently installed, and the leopard was captured in the early hours of Thursday. The animal, aged three to four years, has been sent to the Manikdoh rehabilitation centre.
Another leopard was captured on Thursday morning from a trap cage installed in Pimparkhed village, a human–leopard conflict-affected area. This leopard has also been sent to the Manikdoh rehabilitation centre. Earlier on Wednesday, a three-year-old female leopard was captured in the Rawadewadi area near Kawathe village and sent to the same facility.
“All these three leopards have been captured in Shirur range in a span of less than 24 hours. Our monitoring of areas affected by human leopard conflict will continue. We have deployed trap cameras, trap cages and patrolling has been stepped up,” said an officer.
In Pimparkhed and Jambut villages of Shirur taluka, three deaths due to leopard attacks were reported between October 12 and November 1 – Shivanya Bombe (5) on October 12, Bhagubai Jadhav (70) on October 22 and Rohan Bombe (13) on November 1. These incidents triggered widespread public outrage.
In protest against the rising leopard attacks in Junnar, Shirur, Ambegaon and Khed talukas, villagers staged agitations by blocking the Belhe-Jejuri Road on October 12 and 22 and the Pune-Nashik Highway at Manchar on November 3. On November 2, following the death of 13-year-old Rohan, an angry mob set fire to a Forest Department patrol vehicle and the local base camp building, causing significant damage.
The Pune Forest Department subsequently obtained immediate permission from the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests to capture or shoot the man-eater. Special teams from the Forest Department, including one from ResQ Charitable Trust, Pune, were deployed. A male leopard over five years old, suspected to be involved in the Pimparkhed attacks, was shot dead on November 5 after attempts to tranquilise it failed. The animal turned aggressive and charged at the team, forcing officials to open fire.
