Maharashtra: Leopard rescued from house in Shahapur

The team that rescued the big cat

A sub-adult female leopard was rescued on Tuesday morning, after spending an entire night in a house in the village of Umberkhand near Kharadi in Shahapur, by the forest department.

The big cat had emerged from the forest to feast on poultry outside the house of Lahu Nimase in the middle of the night.

"Around 2 am, the wife of Lahu Nimase heard some noise outside the house. When she opened the door she saw the leopardess, which also might have got scared and ran into the house and sat in one corner," said Sachin Repal, deputy conservator of forest (DCF) of Shahapur, who was present during the rescue operation.

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Officials tranquilise the animal; (right) The sedated leopardess

He added, "Frightened, the woman started shouting and her husband and two children came running outside the house. She showed presence of mind and immediately, locked the door. The forest department was later informed after which our team reached the spot."

The Leopard Rescue Team at Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) was apprised of the incident.

Talking to mid-day, Vijay Barabde, range forest officer and in-charge of SGNP Leopard Rescue Team, said, "As soon as we received the call in the morning we left from SGNP and reached the village by 10 am. A strategy was thought up and a few small openings were made so that the dart could be shot. Veterinary officer Dr Shailesh Pethe prepared the dart and the animal was taken down by rescue team member Sandeep Gaikwad. The entire operation lasted around three hours. The leopardess, which is two years old, has no injuries or illness and has been taken to Shahapur."

Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forest, Wildlife (West) Clement Ben stated that rescuing the leopardess was a challenging task because the big cat was taking refuge inside a house in a village populated by over 500 people.

"The rescue was successful due to proper planning and coordination among the forest staff and also due to the support of the villagers who did not gather near the house and stayed indoors. The leopardess has been taken to Shahapur forest office and a decision regarding its release into its natural habitat will be taken," he said.