After Pune and Nagar districts, a leopard created terror in Nashik city on Friday. At around 1 pm, information surfaced that a leopard had entered the urban settlement in the Gangapur area. Panic broke out after it was seen in Gangasagar Society in Gurukul Colony at 2.55 pm.
The leopard, a two-year-old male, first took shelter in the closed Dixit bungalow. After it was spotted there, it ran into the neighbouring Shivlok Apartment when people shouted. From there, it fled into a school, and as people again raised an alarm, it entered the Asha Pan Tapari. A team from the Forest Department reached the spot immediately.
When forest officials set a net to catch the leopard, it attacked and injured an officer. It then ran towards Taramangal Colony via Municipal School No.17 (Kamgar Nagar), Guruprasad Colony and Gurukul Colony. When officials set a net there again, the leopard attacked another officer. While fleeing, Forest Department shooters fired a tranquilising injection, which hit accurately. The names of the injured Forest Department officials are Santosh Bodake and Praveen Golait.
After being darted, the leopard moved into the bushes behind Taramangal Society and fell unconscious. After searching the area, forest officials placed the leopard in a cage and shifted it to a safe location. Disaster Management Minister Girish Mahajan was personally present during the rescue operation and witnessed the leopard’s attack in Taramangal Colony.
The Forest Department finally managed to capture the leopard after nearly four hours of terror. Five people have been injured in the attacks. Fear has spread among residents as this marks the second consecutive day of leopard sightings in Nashik city. The Forest Department has issued an alert in the area and appealed to citizens not to walk alone at night.
According to the information leopard had first been seen in Gangasagar Society at 2.55 pm, then entered the closed Dixit bungalow before fleeing to Shivlok Apartment, a school and the Asha Pan Tapari. It later moved through Municipal Corporation School No.17, Guruprasad Colony and Taramangal Colony, attacking forest officials during both capture attempts.
