After Bhorwadi attack, forest dept launches search to capture leopard

Forest department has launched a search operation to capture the leopard involved in the attack on 17-year-old boy in Bhorwadi area of Hiware village in Junnar tehsil on June 16

PUNE: Ever since a boy, 17, was attacked by a leopard in the Bhorwadi area of Hiware village in Junnar tehsil on June 16, the forest department has launched a search operation to capture the leopard involved in the attack. “We have yet to capture the leopard but forest officials will be tracking the leopard’s activities in Bhorwadi and the adjoining villages,” said Amol Satpute, deputy conservator of forests.

Forest department has launched a search operation to capture the leopard involved in the attack on 17-year-old boy in Bhorwadi area of Hiware village in Junnar tehsil on June 16. (PTI FILE)

On June 16, Yash Bhor, 17, was attacked by a leopard while walking outside his house in the Bhorwadi area of Hiware village in Junnar tehsil at around 8.30 pm. Saved by his neighbours, Yash suffered minor injuries to his leg and was admitted to a rural hospital in Narayangaon tehsil. He is now stable but following the incident, the forest department launched a search operation to capture the leopard involved in the attack. The department is following standard operating procedure and keeping track of leopard movement in the area, Satpute said. However, the officer dismissed the possibility of leopard involvement in another case of a girl, 3, missing from Ozar Road of Dhalewadi area in Junnar tehsil since the past four days. The missing girl is the daughter of a brick labourer and the police, who suspect that a leopard is involved in the girl’s disappearance, approached the forest department to verify the same. However, when forest officials combed the area from where the girl allegedly vanished, they did not find pugmarks or any other clues to indicate that a leopard was involved. Hence, it is clear that there is no involvement of leopards in this case, Satpute said.

Leopard attacks have become commonplace in Junnar tehsil. With leopards attacking children or people working on farms, forest officials feel that the animals are identifying these people as prey. Recently however, leopards seem to be attacking even when people are simply walking on the road. There have been leopard sightings close to human habitation and the forest department routinely gets calls about leopard sightings or minor leopard attacks.

Surekha Vethekar, sarpanch, Pimpale Pendhar village, said, “The leopard population in Junnar has increased significantly. We are demanding that the leopards be released into larger sanctuaries or tiger project areas instead of being released in forest areas around Junnar. However, due to the absence of proper guidelines, the forest department is unable to do so.”

Responding to Vethekar’s comments, Satpute said, “We have drafted a proposal and sent it to the state forest department for the translocation of a few leopards to other areas of the state. We haven’t received any confirmation on the same. Hence, it would be inappropriate for me to say anything more about it.”