Thane: A male leopard that was rescued from a residential area in Bhayander and released back into the wild just weeks ago has been found dead in the Nagla reserve forest, officials confirmed on Thursday.
The big cat had been the subject of an intensive monitoring project by the Forest Department to study the adaptation of rescued leopards back into their natural habitats.
From Rescue to Release
The animal first made headlines on December 19, 2025, after it strayed into a human settlement in the Bhayander area, sparking panic among local residents. Following a successful rescue operation, the leopard was fitted with a satellite-linked radio collar a high-tech tool designed to track its movements in real-time.
On December 25, the leopard was released into the Nagla block of the Yeoor forest range, part of the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) ecosystem.
Signs of Successful Adaptation
Initial data from the satellite collar suggested the leopard was thriving. According to a release from the Forest Department:
Dec 25 – 30: The leopard was tracked moving consistently through the Sasunavghar sector.
Dec 31: It was observed hunting a dog near a cave, a key behavioral indicator that it was successfully fending for itself.
Jan 5: Camera traps along the Nagla trail captured images of the animal appearing "healthy and agile."
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Discovery and Investigation
The successful monitoring ended in tragedy on February 2, when forest officials located the leopard’s carcass within the Nagla reserve.
Preliminary inspections have provided some relief to conservationists, as the animal’s body parts were found to be intact. This has allowed officials to tentatively rule out poaching often the primary threat to big cats in the region as the cause of death.
"A probe is currently underway to ascertain the exact cause of death," an official stated. "The carcass has been sent for a detailed autopsy to determine if the death was due to natural causes, internal injuries, or other environmental factors."
The incident highlights the ongoing challenges of human-wildlife conflict and the complexities involved in rehabilitating large carnivores. The Forest Department is expected to release the findings of the post-mortem report early next week.
True Rehabilitation Requires Secure Habitats, Not Just Release Says Environmental Expert
"The leopard is not at fault; it is we who have made its forest fragmented and unsafe. Rehabilitation does not simply mean releasing it into a forest; the true responsibility lies in maintaining a peaceful and secure habitat for it. In this incident, the blame lies not with the leopard, but with the increasing human interference in forests. Rehabilitation is not just about letting a leopard loose in the wild, but about creating a continuous, calm, and safe habitat. In the Yeoor-Nagla area, the natural balance of wildlife is collapsing due to rising traffic and human movement. As forests become fragmented and unsafe, it would be dangerous to view these deaths merely as 'accidents'." — Dr. Prashant Sinkar (Environmental Expert, Thane)
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