Three leopards captured in two days by forest department in western India, rescue operation ongoing
by Aditi VermaIn a major breakthrough, the Forest Department successfully captured three leopards in western India’s Maharashtra within two days, following increasing fears after two fatal attacks on women. Rescue teams from multiple locations have been working to ensure the safety of local villagers, with efforts to catch more leopards still underway.
The incident took place at Sangamner range, Ahmednagar forest division in Ahmednagar District and the video went viral on October 21.
Visuals showed the Forest Department team forcefully securing the leopards inside cages, struggling to control their fierce resistance. Using ropes, they tightly bound the leopards’ mouths to prevent them from biting. The scene was intense, with the wild animals thrashing against their restraints, while the team worked meticulously to ensure their capture without harm, locking them into the steel cages.
In a coordinated effort by the Forest Department and rescue teams from Nashik, Pune, and Junnar, three leopards were captured in Sangamner Taluka over two days. These operations were initiated after the community raised alarms following the deaths of two women in leopard attacks in the past month, causing widespread fear among the villagers.
The first leopard was trapped on Thursday night in the Nimgaon Tembhi area. The second, found in the Hivargaon Pawasa area, was captured after a two-hour chase by the rescue team on Friday afternoon. Despite evading capture for a while, the leopard was eventually surrounded by vehicles and secured after a tense two-and-a-half-hour pursuit.
The third leopard, a cub, was caught in the Gunjalwadi area after the locals urged the Forest Department to trap the female leopard and her cub, which had been roaming the region for several months. The villagers, though relieved by the capture, are still worried as the mother leopard remains at large, with concerns she may turn aggressive and attack humans after her cub’s capture.
While the three leopards have been relocated to the Sangamner Khurd nursery, the Forest Department continues its efforts to track down the man-eating leopard responsible for two fatalities in Devgaon earlier this month. Whether the captured leopards are linked to these attacks will be confirmed following medical examinations.