23 January,2017 07:25 AM IST | | Gaurav Sarkar
Leopard captured on CCTV walking through parking lot adjacent to housing society in Mulund; FD increases patrolling, researcher believes it came in search of food
The leopard was caught on CCTV walking through the parking lot on Saturday
Also read: Leopard makes happy meal out of a canine in Mulund
At around 2 am on Saturday, the CCTV cameras of Rosewood housing society near Vasant Garden in Mulund, captured a leopard moving about in the car parking area next to it. The building, which is located in close proximity of the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) in addition to being flanked by two other gardens, has caused wildlife researchers to believe that this is not the first time that the big cat has strayed into human premises.
Walking comfortably
The CCTV has captured a car coming into the path of the leopard crossing the parking lot. "The leopard can be seen walking around comfortably, probably in search of livestock such as dogs, macaques, or rodents," said Krishna Tiwari (43), a wildlife researcher who has been conducting camera trappings in and around the city since 2012. "Leopard sightings are not a threat - they are the perfect 21st century cats," said Tiwari, adding that the big cats are well adapted to their surroundings and are co-existing with humans. Most leopards are spotted close to the boundaries of SGNP, especially in areas of Thane, Aarey Colony, Mulund and Borivli.
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Forest dept says
The forest department officers have said that their teams are regularly patrolling the area at night. Range forest officer Santosh Kank from the Thane Forest Department (Territorial) said, "A leopard was seen roaming in the premises of a building in Mulund adjacent to SGNP and the footage was captured in the building's CCTV. As the building is next to the forest, the sightings would take place. We would like to appeal to the residents not to panic as we have already increased patrolling in the area."
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"Residents should take precautions; they should see to it that small children are accompanied by elders if they leave the house post sunset. They should also see to it that the surroundings have adequate lighting and if they see a leopard, they should immediately inform us and not try to provoke the animal as it might lead to man-animal conflict."
