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Five-year-old girl killed in leopard attack in Pune
A five-year-old girl was killed in a leopard attack in Pune, marking the third such death since April. Villagers demand stronger measures to prevent conflicts.
A five-year-old girl, Shivanya Bombe, died in a leopard attack Sunday morning in the Pimparkhed village of Shirur tehsil, one of the hotspots for the human-leopard conflict in Pune district. This is the third such death in the Junnar forest division since April this year, not to mention the seventh such death due to leopard attacks in Pimparkhed and the nearby Jambut village over the past couple of years.
The incident occurred at around 10 am on October 12. Ganesh Bombe, Shivanya’s uncle, recalled, “My niece was carrying water and a cap for her grandfather, Arun Bombe, who was working in the field just 200 metres behind our house. A leopard hiding in a nearby sugarcane field suddenly leaped out and attacked her. The wildcat caught the little girl by her neck and tried to drag her into the dense field. Hearing Shivanya scream, her grandfather ran towards the leopard and fought desperately to save her.”
“He somehow managed to free Shivanya from the animal’s grip. We all rushed to help and took her to the nearest hospital. But doctors said her condition was too critical and advised us to take her to the rural hospital in Manchar. We reached there as fast as we could, but she did not survive,” Ganesh said.
A pall of gloom has descended upon the village as the grief-stricken family mourns the loss of their young child. Forest officials were informed immediately, and a team rushed to the spot to inspect the situation.
Nilkanth Gavhane, range forest officer, Shirur, said, “We have collected the swab samples from the girl’s body which will be sent to the laboratory in Hyderabad for examination. To capture the animal, 11 cages are being installed at and around the site and camera traps are also being set up to monitor the area. We are following all standard procedures, and compensation will soon be provided to the victim’s family.”
Family members claimed that only a few days ago, Shivanya’s father had had a narrow escape when a leopard reportedly followed him while he was riding his two-wheeler. The family also said that about 10 to 15 days ago, the same wildcat killed their cattle, and they informed forest officials about the sighting and cattle kill.
Former MP Shivajirao Adhalrao Patil visited the victim’s family in Manchar after learning of the incident. He told the media: “There are an estimated 1,000 leopards in the Junnar forest division, and human deaths caused by leopard attacks have been steadily rising in the Junnar and Shirur tehsils. The forest department is making efforts to mitigate the conflict, but a strong policy decision from the central government is needed. Many meetings and discussions have taken place, but nothing concrete has emerged so far. The government has not permitted a sterilisation programme for leopards due to which the situation is escalating. We will soon call a meeting with the Pune district collector and other officials to discuss possible solutions.”
Amol Kolhe, MP from Shirur, expressed grief over the incident through a video message. “This is a tragic incident. Two children — one in Junnar and another in Shirur — have died in leopard attacks within the span of one month. We are already working on a leopard sterilisation project. Recently, we discussed relocating some leopards to Vantara, and a proposal will soon be submitted. In addition, we have demanded that the human–leopard conflict be declared a state-level disaster. Such a move will ensure adequate manpower, equipment, and the formation of a dedicated leopard protection squad.”
Kolhe said that he has repeatedly raised the issue with chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, urging the government to take immediate and concrete action to develop a strong mitigation plan for human–leopard conflict.
Earlier on April 25, Laxmibai Bhoite, 82, from Shirur tehsil was killed in a leopard attack. More recently, on September 24, Siddharth Pravin Kedari, 6, from Thakarwadi in Kumshet village, Junnar tehsil, lost his life in a similar incident.
With the sugarcane harvesting season approaching — a period when leopards often seek shelter in dense sugarcane fields — such incidents are expected to rise over the next two to three months. Villagers have urged authorities to take stronger and more immediate action to prevent further loss of life.
