Nagpur: A major scare gripped Nagpur's Pardi locality after a leopard entered a residential area on Monday evening, injuring seven people before being safely rescued by the Forest Department’s rapid response team. Visuals on social media showed the big cat entering a house through the terrace. The injured people were admitted to Shri Bhavani Hospital in Paradi. Residents said the leopard suddenly appeared around 6:30 pm on December 9, creating panic.
While speaking to news agency ANI, Ajinkya Bhatkar, Honorary Wildlife Warden, said that the Forest Department received information about the leopard at around 7:30 am on December 10. After the information was received, Bhatkar added that immediately, CF (Conservator of Forests) and DCF (Deputy Conservator of Forests) instructed the RFO (Range Forest Officer) to send the transit treatment centre team. "They started the operation at around 9.30 am and completed it within an hour.
3-Year-Old Male Leopard
Ajinkya added that Dr Kulsum darted the animal, allowing the team to safely capture the leopard. He also informed that the captured leopard is a three-year-old male.
Residents Recall Terrifying Moments
One of the injured residents recalled the shocking moment of the attack inside homes and said, “I was standing on the balcony when it came from behind and started attacking. My family was inside the house… When I tried to stop it, it attacked me. The incident happened around 6:30 pm.”
All Seven Injured Out of Danger, Informs Forest Minister
Maharashtra Forest Minister Ganesh Naik visited the injured and assured them that all victims are stable. He further informed that, "If any leopard accidentally enters residential areas, our forest department will work to alert the citizens. We have made arrangements for this..."
Precautions Planned To Avoid Such an Attack
Naik added that permission has been obtained for sterilisation, but only on a very small scale. "First, in six months, we will assess its success, and then we will seek approval from the central government to expand the programme," he told the reporters.
In another precaution, Naik also added, "We are also trying to plant trees that those animals feed on, which are themselves prey for leopards, so that leopards are less likely to leave the jungles in search of food."
The Minister also called to deploy AI-driven sirens to detect a leopard. "We have also deployed AI-driven sirens that activate whenever a leopard, or even its shadow, is detected," he said.
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