Pimpri-Chinchwad: A leopard was spotted roaming freely in Maval Taluka's Warangwadi area on Tuesday night. The Warangwadi area is located near the Pune district suburb town of Talegaon Dabhade, and due to being a relatively densely populated area, people are in panic because of the wild animal. The villagers have demanded that the Maharashtra Forest Department set up a cage to capture the leopard.
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On Tuesday morning at 6 a.m., Somnath Shinde, a local farmer from Warangwadi, was going to the cowshed to milk his buffaloes when he first saw the leopard on the road near an old poultry farm owned by a man named Praful Shinde. Later that morning, at 11 a.m., another local farmer, Baban Waringe, was taking his cattle to the field when he also saw the leopard. The leopard roared two to three times and attempted to attack the animals. Frightened by the leopard, Baban Waringe ran away.
On Tuesday night, some young men from the village saw the leopard on the road leading to the Sangameshwar temple in Warangwadi. To investigate further, village volunteers Dipesh Shinde, Nitin Waringe, and Vivek More followed it in a car. They spotted the leopard in an old, abandoned shed at Tara Agro Farm on the road to the Sangameshwar temple. The car's headlights caused it to flee. The villagers informed the Forest Department, and some of its officials inspected the area.
Prakash Shinde, Range Forest Officer, Vadgaon, said, "The villagers should not go to the area where the leopard has been sighted. When going to such an area, they should use a stick with bells and make noise with their mobile phones. They should preferably travel in groups. Small children should not be left alone."
Forest Department Organises Awareness Campaign
The Forest Department has organised an awareness programme at the Sangameshwar temple on Thursday evening at 6:30 p.m. The Forest Department and a rescue team from Bavdhan will provide guidance on precautions to take regarding the leopard. It is believed that there is not just one leopard in Warangwadi, but two leopards and a cub.
