Leopard kills 2 in 3 days, department may shoot animal

MUMBAI: Two days after a 54-year-old woman was attacked and killed in Murbad, Thane, by a leopard, another kill by the same animal was reported from the district at 6pm on Sunday, less than 5km away from the first one. Forest dept officials have been given permission to take any necessary step to stop the attacks. days after a 54-year-old woman was attacked and killed in Murbad, Thane, by a leopard, another kill by the same animal was reported from the district at 6pm on Sunday, less than 5km away from the first one.

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Barku Bhau Bhoir, 52, a resident of Sonavale village in Murbad, Tokawade south range was attacked by the leopard around 5pm while he was returning from his rice field.

Forest officials said the matter was discussed with the chief wildlife warden and a team from Sanjay Gandhi National Park, Borivli was dispatched to trap the leopard.

“The situation has taken a serious turn. The leopard is aggressive and is not used to natural hunting. Our forest officers have been trying to trap it but it has been avoiding the cages,” said KP Singh, chief conservator of forest, Thane.

He added that the Thane division had received permission from the chief wildlife warden to take any means necessary to stop the attacks. “We have been told to trap the leopard by tranquillising it but if that doesn’t work we might have to shoot the animal,” said Singh.

On Friday evening, a 54-yearold woman died after she was ambushed by a leopard in Waghachi Wadi village in Murbad taluka of Thane district .

According to officials from the Thane forest range, Mirabai Vare was in the rice fields adjacent to a forest.

“The leopard was hiding in the fields. Owing to less light, she did not notice the cat,” said Kishore Thakre, assistant conservator of forest, Thane. “The animal pounced on her and bit her neck. The body was dragged over 100 metres from the area where she was attacked.” While there have been no incidents of leopard attacks in Mumbai since 2011, villagers in Junnar, Pune, have seen regular conflicts with leopards, some resulting in deaths in the past two years.