A leopard attacked a 5-year-old girl in Burkegaon village within the jurisdiction of Lonikand Police Station, an official informed on Friday. The girl has been admitted to Sassoon General Hospital. Fortunately, the injuries are not severe, he added.
Senior Police Inspector Vishwajeet Kaingade from the Lonikand Police Station stated, "A leopard attacked a 5-year-old girl, who is originally from Osmanabad, currently living in Markal near Alandi in a village named Burkegaon in our jurisdiction. The leopard quickly vanished in sugarcane fields where it was completely dark. The girl has been shifted to Sassoon General Hospital for treatment. She is not kept in the ICU, as the injuries are not severe."
He further mentioned, "Three assistant police inspectors, accompanied by staff and forest officers, have arrived at the site. They are examining the pug marks to confirm the animal's identity. Camera traps will be set up, and thermal drones will be utilised to detect body heat and locate the animal. A specialised rescue team equipped with modern tools will join the efforts tomorrow. We are extending complete support to their operations."
Incidents of leopard attacks are increasingly prevalent in the Pune district, often attributed to the encroachment of urban development into forested areas. This intrusion disrupts natural animal corridors, resulting in wildlife encroaching into human-inhabited regions.
In response to these attacks, Shirur MP Amol Kolhe in October called for government-level policies to control leopard reproduction. His comment came after a four-year-old boy fell victim to a leopard attack in Junnar taluka. Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Kolhe wrote, "When unfortunate and painful news of human-leopard conflict emerges, it underscores the need for government-level policies to control leopard reproduction! I am continuously raising this issue in Parliament."
