‘Man-eater’ leopard declared shot dead in Ahilyanagar

Forest minister Ganesh Naik had earlier directed forest officials to eliminate the leopard if it was confirmed to be a man-eater. Following this, the principal chief conservator of forests (Wildlife) and chief wildlife warden issued permission on November 10 to neutralise the animal

Mumbai: The Maharashtra Forest Department shot dead a leopard in Ahilyanagar district on Friday after it was declared a man-eater responsible for two deaths in 15 days. The animal was killed during a coordinated operation involving specialised sharpshooters and forest officers.

‘Man-eater’ leopard declared shot dead in Ahilyanagar

Forest minister Ganesh Naik had earlier directed forest officials to eliminate the leopard if it was confirmed to be a man-eater. Following this, the principal chief conservator of forests (Wildlife) and chief wildlife warden MS Reddy issued permission on November 10 to neutralise the animal, an official from the forest department said. The order came after two fatal attacks believed to have been carried out by the same leopard.

Subsequently, rescue teams from Nashik and Pune, renowned sharpshooter Dr Rajiv Shinde, and forest officers from Rahuri, Sangamner, Kopargaon and Takli Dhokeshwar ranges were deployed for the operation. It involved camera traps across the area, tracking pugmarks along movement routes, and using two thermal drones to locate the animal.

On Saturday evening, after a few villagers reported spotting the leopard near a poultry farm owned by one Yogesh Devkar in Kopargaon, the squad rushed to the site. “While searching, the man-eater suddenly charged aggressively. Responding to which sharpshooter Dr Rajiv Shinde fired at the leopard at 9.45 pm, resulting in the animal’s death,” a senior officer involved in the operation said.

The leopard, a male estimated to be five to six years old, has been sent to the Baragaon Nandur nursery in Rahuri taluka for post-mortem examination.

According to the forest officials, the first fatal attack occurred on November 5, when three-year-old Nandini Chavan was killed while playing on the outskirts of Yesgaon village. The leopard reportedly attempted to drag her away but fled when villagers intervened. The second attack was on November 10 when a 63-year-old woman, Shantabai Nikole, was attacked and killed by the same leopard.

The incidents triggered public outrage and protests across the district, prompting the subsequent hunt and neutralisation order.