The residents of Pune's Aundh are living with fear and anxiety after multiple leopard sightings were reported over the past few days near RBI Colony, Sindh Society and surrounding areas. The presence of the wild cat in densely populated residential localities has created fear in the minds of the people, prompting authorities to step up surveillance and issue safety advisories.
The Pune Forest Department confirmed that the first sighting occurred early on Sunday morning near Sindh Society. And since then, teams from the Forest Department and RESQ CT have been continuously tracking the animal using thermal drones and night-vision equipment. Despite extensive monitoring, there have been no fresh sightings, which has led to concerns among residents as they remain unsure of the leopard’s exact location.
Local families, morning walkers and senior citizens have reportedly restricted their outdoor movements, especially during early morning and late evening hours. The forest department has issued an advisory, warning housing societies and urging residents to avoid isolated areas, keep children supervised and refrain from walking pets alone.
Aniket Roy, a college-going student, said, "The news of a leopard in the area has caused much panic. I learned about the leopard's presence in our area through a reel shared by my friend, and since then, I've been locked inside my own house, as my parents aren't letting me go out for a night walk or an evening walk, for that matter. I have full faith in the forest authorities that they will catch the animal."
Shrutika Abhyankar, a resident of Aundh, said, "We are scared to go out even for basic things like vegetables and groceries. We feel as if we are trapped inside our houses because of the wildcat. Yesterday, we saw a van and a team from the forest department taking all the measures to catch the leopard. We urge them to catch the leopard at the earliest. Our lives are in danger, and the state government should intervene and take some measures for the safety of the residents."
Rohan Bapat, a student at Fergusson College, said, "The Pune forest department is always sleeping. It's been a year since they haven't caught a leopard at the airport. A passenger sighted it and clicked pictures, but authorities couldn't do much about it. It's just an eyewash; they will come and show us we are trying, but we residents will never get to see the results. To catch this leopard at Aundh, I hope they don't take two years."
Forest officials have appealed to citizens to stay calm but vigilant. They have warned against spreading unverified videos or misinformation on social media, as several AI-generated leopard visuals have surfaced recently, causing unnecessary panic. Authorities emphasised that sharing false alarms diverts critical resources and delays real rescue operations.
Speaking to The Free Press Journal newspaper, Deputy conservator of forests, Mahadev Mohite, said, "Yesterday, we had deployed three teams to catch the big cat, but today we have two teams working together to trace its movement. Our team is inspecting open plots, dense shrubbery, and potential hiding spots. The department has also requested residents to immediately inform the nearest forest office or the emergency helpline in case of any confirmed sighting. The search operation is on."
Meanwhile, in the Pune Airport area, a joint field visit was conducted regarding the leopard sighted recently. The visit included Assistant Conservator of Forests Mangesh Tate, Indian Air Force Wing Commander YS Singh, Range Forest Officer Suresh Varak, Round Officer Sheetal Khendke and Pramod Raskar, and representatives from ResQ Foundation.
During this visit, the team inspected the K4 location where the leopard had been spotted earlier. Currently, three camera traps have been installed at the site. However, since the leopard was last seen there on the morning of November 19, it has not been captured on any of the camera traps.
"A thorough inspection of the various tunnels in that area was also carried out. The Indian Air Force has now completely sealed these tunnels, ensuring that the leopard is not hiding inside them. Nevertheless, there remains a high possibility that the animal may be sheltering nearby in the surrounding vegetation. It has therefore been decided that if the leopard is sighted again, either directly or through camera trap footage, further decisions will be taken regarding placing a trap cage and using appropriate methods for its safe capture," a press release read.
