The Forest Department has successfully captured a leopard roaming in the Artillery Centre, Nashik area. The area had become sensitive after a leopard attacked a 2-year-old boy, Sreetik Gangadharan, in the army colony near the Kargil Gate entrance.
The CCTV footage near Rajput Colony in Vadner Dumala Shivara showed a leopard hunting a dog on the night of September 29, 2025. Based on this information, the Forest Department caught the leopard after eight days of continuous hard work.
On September 30, at 8:30 am, a team from the Forest Department and the Sangamner Rescue Team found the remains of the hunted dog. A cage was erected across the drain, and the leopard was covered with a net to prevent it from falling into the nearby well.
Rescue Division Nashik completed the preparations with tranquilization guns, medicines and cameras. All the teams were deployed at 4 pm. After the leopard returned to eat the prey, the wildlife veterinarians administered injections and rendered it unconscious. It was brought on a stretcher, placed in a cage in a vehicle and sent to the wildlife treatment centre in Mhasrul.
Upon examination, the leopard was reported to be a female, approximately 3 to 4 years old, and completely healthy. No one was injured in the entire operation. The commandant of the Artillery Centre, Brigadier N.R. Pandey, Colonel Atiq Siddiqui and Colonel Rajiv Singh were involved.
Under the guidance of Chief Conservator of Forests G. Mallikarjun, Deputy Conservator of Forests Siddhesh Sawardekar, Assistant Conservator of Forests Prashant Khairnar, Forest Area Officer Sumit Nirmal, the West Nashik Forest Department, mobile teams, Rescue Nashik Division, Sangamner Rescue Team and SGNP-WCS India conducted a joint operation. Honorary Wildlife Ranger Vaibhav Bhogle and Dr Hemraj Sukhwal's team played an important role.
The cooperation of the local representatives and citizens was received. Leopards were not being captured in cages in the last few days, but this operation was successful. The forest department has advised citizens to be vigilant, and efforts are also being made for other leopards in the area.
