Leopard captured in Dindoshi Hills

The forest department on Tuesday morning captured a leopard in the Dindoshi Hills area in Malad East, days after a CCTV camera recorded a leopard lounging on the roof of a rowhouse in the New Dindoshi Royal Hills Co-operative Society, which is adjacent to Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP)

Mumbai: The forest department on Tuesday morning captured a leopard in the Dindoshi Hills area in Malad East, days after a CCTV camera recorded a leopard lounging on the roof of a rowhouse in the New Dindoshi Royal Hills Co-operative Society, which is adjacent to Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP). An official privy to the development, however, clarified that the captured animal is almost certainly not the same one seen in Marol’s Bhavani Nagar area on the morning of March 7, given how far apart the locations area.

Leopard captured in Dindoshi Hills

Talking of the captured animal, deputy conservator of forests Santosh Saste from Thane Forest Department (territorial), said, “It is an adult male leopard, in sound health. It will be kept at SGNP until a committee headed by senior officials deems it fit for release into its natural habitat. Protocol says the animal must be released back in 30 days, but it usually doesn’t take as long if it is not a problem animal.”

An official said that while the Marol leopard is expected to have come from Aarey, the one captured in Dindoshi likely came from SGNP. “It may also not be the same animal which was captured on CCTV last week. That one seemed to be a sub-adult, while the one we captured is a full-grown male. The Dindoshi Hills area sees more movement of these animals, though sightings are rare. We will continue to be vigilant,” the official said.

The forest department on March 10 had installed cage-traps at both Bhavani Nagar and Marol, in response to sightings confirmed via CCTV camera footage last week. At Bhavani Nagar, however, multiple sources said the leopard in question is believed to have returned to its habitat in Aarey Colony.

After the death of a 16-month-old toddler inside Aarey Colony at the hands of a leopard last October, residents and forest department officials have been on high alert in nearby areas, forming vigilance groups and prohibiting children and elders from loitering about, particularly after dusk.

A few residents from Marol have also banded together to form a ‘vigilance group’, which has been patrolling the neighborhood every evening in large groups of at least 10 people.