Thane: A leopard was spotted in the Padgha area of Thane’s Bhiwandi on Friday night. The leopard had fallen into a drainage system and was unable to free itself. Upon learning of the situation, teams from the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP), members of PAWS, and the Forest Department arrived on the scene for a rescue operation. After hours of effort, the leopard was successfully rescued unharmed.
This incident, which occurred last night, raised concerns about the safety of residents in the Bhiwandi area. Once locals realised a leopard was trapped, a large crowd gathered at the site. Despite the challenges, the Forest Department and rescue teams managed to trap the leopard safely, bringing relief to the onlookers.
Thane: In Pagdha, Bhiwandi, a leopard got stuck in a gutter and was rescued safely within 8 hours by the forest department team of SGNP along with PAWS members.
: Devashri Bhujbal#Pagdha #Leopard #Bhiwandi #Thane #SGNP #WildLife #PAWS #animalrescue pic.twitter.com/NxqX6OLikL
— Free Press Journal (@fpjindia) December 14, 2024
Leopard Rescued After 8 Hours
The rescue operation involved dedicated efforts by PAWS team members, who assisted the SGNP and Forest Department teams. The entire operation took over eight hours, with officers and residents breathing a sigh of relief once the leopard was freed.
Incidents of leopards and tigers roaming on roads have been increasingly reported on social media. In many cases, these animals have attacked residents, resulting in casualties and injuries while in some cases the animals were hurt by humans.
Leopard Killed After Being Caught By Panicked Locals In UP
In a similar incident reported recently, a leopard that attacked and injured several individuals near the Sohagi Wildlife Sanctuary in Uttar Pradesh’s Maharajganj district died shortly after being captured by locals on December 3.
A video showing locals restraining the leopard by its neck has gone viral on social media, sparking outrage. The animal’s postmortem was conducted at the Gorakhpur Zoo hospital on Wednesday.
According to Dr. Yogesh Pratap Singh, Senior Veterinary Officer at the zoo, the leopard was elderly, frail, and had worn-down teeth. Preliminary reports suggest that age-related weakness contributed to its death. However, further analysis is underway to confirm the findings.
The incident began when the leopard was seen staggering near Chakdah Tola Lalpur village in the Nautanwa police jurisdiction. Weak and disoriented, the animal attempted to flee but jumped into the Rohin River after being chased by some local youths. A few villagers followed it into the water and managed to capture the struggling leopard, which appeared too weak to resist.
जब सरकार को जनता की जान की फ़िक्र नहीं है तो मजबूर होकर, जनता ही अपनी जान पर खेलकर जानवरों से अपनी रक्षा करेगी।
यूपी का हाल बहुत बुरा हो चला है। pic.twitter.com/veuvdnKX92
— Akhilesh Yadav (@yadavakhilesh) December 5, 2024
Video footage from the scene shows locals restraining the animal by its neck, legs, and tail while others recorded the incident. Tragically, the leopard succumbed to its condition shortly after being handled by the group.
District Forest Officer Niranjan Surve confirmed that a Forest Department team was dispatched to the site following the incident. The leopard’s body was later sent to the Gorakhpur Zoo for a postmortem examination, after which it was cremated.
