In a first, leopard rescued from Ulhasnagar bungalow

Forest officials suspect the leopard must have travelled from Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary, about 55-km from Bhatia Chowk.

A 4-year-old leopard accidentally entered a bungalow at Bhatia Chowk in Ulhasnagar, spreading panic among residents. The incident took place on Sunday morning while the owner of the bungalow and his family were in the house. The leopard was rescued by a team of forest officials and local police by 12pm from Balani Niwas near Sonam Classes.

The forest officials said the animal will be kept under observation for the next 24 hours before being released back into the wild. (Rishikesh Chaudhary)

While the situation of man-animal conflict did not arise, residents ran for cover the moment news about leopard in the area started doing rounds. In the CCTV footage recovered from the bungalow, the animal can be seen trying to escape the premises by jumping over the compound wall.

“This is for the first time a wild animal was spotted within the residential limits of Ulhasnagar. Earlier, people have spotted leopards at Pipeline Road. Locals said the leopard had roaming in the area since morning,” said Sunil Jagwani, 27, a resident of Bhatia Chowk.

Forest officials suspect the leopard must have travelled from Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary, about 55-km from Bhatia Chowk. “We found the leopard inside the electric room and tranquilised it safely. We are trying to ascertain the route the animal took to reach the city,” Pavan Sharma, wildlife warden, Thane district.

The forest officials said the animal will be kept under observation for the next 24 hours before being released back into the wild.