26 October,2022 03:24 PM IST | Mumbai | Ranjeet Jadhav
Male leopard walked into the cage set by the forest department in Aarey colony. Pic/SGNP team
In the wee hours of Wednesday, a male leopard walked into the cage set by the forest department in Aarey Milk colony.
The efforts taken by the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) team, Thane Forest Department (Territorial) team along with the volunteers have been successful.
SGNP Field Director and Conservator of Forest, G Mallikarjun said, "There were two suspected male leopards that might be responsible for the human-leopard conflict incidents in Aarey Milk colony and in the vicinity of unit No. 15 in Aarey. In the wee hours of Wednesday, we captured one male leopard (C-55) which was later brought to the rescue center at SGNP. The medical examination of the animal was done by vet Dr Shailesh Pethe. The animal is around three-year-old and it has been kept under observation."
Mallikarjun told Mid-day that the forest department teams would continue monitoring the other male leopard (C-56) in the field.
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"We have installed a total of 30 camera traps around unit No. 15 and at other locations in Aarey Milk colony to monitor the leopards' movement activity," added Mallikarjun.
In the wee hours of Monday, sixteen-month-old Eitika Lot was killed in a human-leopard conflict incident at Aarey Milk colony.
The incident occurred when the mother of the 16-month-old baby, Etika, went to light a diya at a temple less than 20 feet away from her home in Aarey Milk Colony. The baby was found after about 40 minutes but eventually succumbed to her injuries at Seven Hills hospital in Marol. Earlier this month, a four-year-old boy from Aarey Colony was injured in a leopard attack.
Volunteers from the Aarey Camera Trapping team and NGO WWA have been assisting the forest department to trap the leopard. On Monday night, one trap cage was set to capture the leopard and two more cages were installed at other locations on Tuesday night.
