The incidents of leopards attacking humans have increased in Pune district, especially in the talukas of Junnar and Shirur.
In one such incident, a leopard pounced on a two-wheeler on Wednesday evening at Otur village in Junnar taluka. The video of this incident was caught on CCTV and is going viral on social media.
As seen in the video, the leopard, which was apparently hiding at the side of the road to catch prey, suddenly pounced on a moving two-wheeler in Otur. The farmer, Sitaram Nilesh Doke, who was riding the bike, was carrying a bag of fertiliser when he was attacked. After the leopard pounced, the bike slipped for quite a distance, injuring the farmer. The leopard, however, ran away quickly, but Doke has been hospitalised.
In another incident along the Pune-Ahilyanagar Road near Kamargaon, a leopard suddenly leapt onto a moving car, injuring itself in the process. The incident, captured on video, has since gone viral, reigniting concerns over the increasing number of leopard sightings and attacks across Maharashtra.
The leopard came out from the roadside bushes and attempted to pounce on a car travelling at high speed. The animal misjudged the jump and slammed against the vehicle’s bonnet before tumbling onto the road. Shocked motorists stopped as the injured leopard sat motionless on the tarmac for several minutes. Within moments, a large crowd gathered to witness the scene, prompting chaos on the busy highway.
Forest department officials were soon alerted and rushed to the site. They managed to safely rescue the injured animal and transported it for treatment.
