Thane: Leopard attacks 3 in Kalyan, rescued 10 hrs later

Mumbai: The leopard that ventured into the busy Chinchpada area of Kalyan on Thursday morning caused chaos as it attacked three persons who are said to be in stable condition now. Forest department officials who rushed to the spot, trapped the animal after 10 hours of a joint operation with the local police.

The leopard was first seen around 9am near Ganesh Udhyan in Chinchpada, which is a busy residential area having several apartment buildings and shops. The big cat was seen walking around freely, causing a sense of immense panic among the locals. As chaos ensued, the leopard hid in one of the residential buildings where it went on to attack two civilians. The injured were seen in blood-stained clothes and were rushed to hospital where they were given quick medical aid. This was the first time a leopard was spotted in this busy area of the city.

Upon receiving information, a forest department team was deployed to rescue the animal, with help from the local police. Locals say at least 100 officials, along with volunteers were seen in operation at the residential complex. The officials had a tough time trying to control the crowd outside the building trying to get a glimpse. Meanwhile, building residents were ordered to remain inside their apartments till the operation was over.

During the operation, the leopard attacked Dineah Gupta – a part of the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) rescue team – causing him severe injuries on his left hand, arm, hip, and eyebrow. He received a total of 15 sutures. “He is stable, discharged, and out of danger now,” said officials.

The rescue team finally managed to tranquilise the feline after 10 hours and it was rescued. Forest department official Rajesh Channe said the team suspects that the leopard might have come from the Haji Malang forest area. “We managed to rescue it and no casualties were reported,” the official said.

According to Resqink Association of Wildlife Welfare (RAWW) founder Pawan Sharma, the leopard is being sent to the SGNP after which a detailed medical examination will be done. “We will try and ascertain if the animal is from SGNP or if it's an unidentified leopard, or whether we have this animal on our record or not. If it was caught any time before this it will have a chip that will he