A recent leopard attack in Pabe village, Velhe taluka, resulted in the death of a cow and two dogs. The incident occurred on Saturday evening in the Vitthalwadi area, leaving the villagers gripped with fear and demanding immediate action from the forest department to capture the elusive leopard.
Concerned citizens, along with village sarpanch Jyoti Renuse and village panchayat member Sunil Renuse Patil, rushed to the scene soon after news of the attack emerged on Saturday.
Despite prompt notification to the forest department, the leopard managed to evade capture, leaving the villagers in a state of terror. They are now hesitant to leave their homes, even during daylight hours.
Range Forest Officer Govind Langote addressed the villagers' fear, assuring them that the attack was not by a tiger but by a mature adult leopard. He explained that the area had previously witnessed sightings of striped tigers in Sinhagad and nearby regions, but the footprints at the scene indicated the presence of a leopard. The large footprints and sharp claws suggested an old leopard as the likely culprit, believed to have crossed into the Kelad area, he said. The forest department pledged to intensify its search efforts to capture the leopard and alleviate the villagers' concerns.
"In the wake of this incident, the affected farmers will receive the necessary support by government norms," he added.
