A post is going viral on Instagram. According to the post, a leopard was spotted in Pune's Khadki area. As seen in the photo, which appears to be AI-generated, the wild cat is seated on a bench at the bus stand. This comes days after another fake post about a leopard sighting in Pune's central areas, including Guruvar Peth and Ghorpadi Peth, went viral.
Meanwhile, the leopard that was spotted in the wee hours of Sunday in Aundh is yet to be rescued. Besides, another leopard was seen near Pune Airport early on Tuesday morning. This one is also yet to be rescued.
Speaking to The Free Press Journal, Aditya Paranjpe, Honorary Wildlife Warden, Pune Forest Department, said that leopards entering urban fringes is not uncommon, especially in districts like Pune, where human settlement closely borders natural forested terrain.
"The leopard spotted in Aundh may have walked along the Mula river from forested defence land to reach the spot. The animal most likely followed a narrow but continuous ecological corridor that links the College of Military Engineering (CME)–Bopkhel defence forests to the Mula river defence forests and the Mula river stretch cutting across Pune. The leopard which was spotted at Aundh is calm and is aware of his territory, and that’s why it’s difficult to catch him. The leopard has been living in that area for the past four years, and for him, it’s a home-grown territory," he added.
Paranjpe stated that leopards generally prefer to avoid human contact. "When it enters a populated area, its instinct is to find an escape route. Its movement so far suggests it is trying to return to a safer forested patch,” he said.
He stressed that leopards are shy, solitary, and territorial animals. “Their basic nature is to stay hidden and avoid unnecessary confrontation. The leopard is more scared of humans than humans are of it,” said Paranjpe.
