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70-year-old woman killed in leopard attack in Shirur
Forest officials said the attack occurred around 6:15 am when Bhagubai Rangnath Jadhav, a resident of Thorat Vasti in Jambut, stepped outside to relieve herself
Shirur tehsil is once again in shock after a leopard attack claimed the life of a 70-year-old woman from Jambut village on October 22. The incident comes less than two weeks after a five-year-old girl was killed in a similar attack just a few kilometres away, deepening the local community’s fear and grief.
Forest officials said the attack occurred around 6:15 am when Bhagubai Rangnath Jadhav, a resident of Thorat Vasti in Jambut, stepped outside to relieve herself. A leopard, believed to have been hiding in a nearby sugarcane field, pounced on her and dragged her nearly 500 metres away. When she did not return, her two sons went searching and found her body in the field.
Her death has left the small farming community in shock, with villagers expressing anger over what they say is the administration’s failure to prevent recurring leopard attacks. Residents say the area has become unsafe, especially during early morning and late evening hours.
Smita Rajhans, assistant conservator of forest (ACF), Junnar division, confirmed the incident and said forest department teams reached the spot soon after receiving the information. “We are following all standard procedures. To capture the leopard, 10 trap cages and six camera traps are being installed in and around Jambut village. Night patrolling and a thermal drone survey will also be carried out,” Rajhans said, adding that awareness programmes for villagers are being initiated to reduce the risk of further incidents.
This is the fourth human death due to a leopard attack in Pune district, all within the jurisdiction of the Junnar Forest Division, since April this year. The rising number of attacks has alarmed residents and wildlife officials alike.
Just ten days earlier, on October 12, five-year-old Shivnya Bombe from Pimparkhed village in Shirur was killed by a leopard while on her way to deliver a water bottle to her grandfather working in a nearby field. Her death triggered widespread anger, leading villagers to stage a rasta roko protest on October 16, which saw massive participation from across Shirur tehsil.
Following the spate of incidents, deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar chaired an emergency meeting on October 15 in Pune to review the escalating human–leopard conflict. He directed the forest and district administration to step up preventive measures, but villagers say the situation on the ground remains grim.
Local leaders and residents are now demanding stronger intervention, stricter monitoring, and faster response from the government as the man–animal conflict continues to intensify in parts of Shirur and Junnar tehsils.
Two days after the attack, the forest department has yet to capture the leopard. Nilkanth Gavhane, range forest officer of the Junnar Forest Division, said, “We are continuously monitoring Jambut village and nearby areas. The leopard may have moved further after being disturbed by the ambulance siren, which could delay its capture.”
He added that the department had previously captured three leopards in Pimparkhed village, where a five-year-old girl was killed in a similar attack just 15 days ago.
