Mumbai: Efforts on, but Aarey leopard still roams free

Forest department officials have set up seven cages near the areas of attack to trap the leopard. File pic

For the past seven days, over 30 forest department staffers and over 15 volunteers are working in shifts and seven cages have been set up, but the problem leopard, suspected of attacking seven people at Aarey, is yet to get trapped. This is thanks to the difficult terrain and high human density. On Sunday, around 6 pm, a leopard mock charged a local at Aarey colony.

The forest department was also considering tranquilisation, but experts are of the opinion that this is not possible in case of the leopard which is fast and is roaming in high density areas. Aarey Milk Colony, spread across 16 sq km, has 27 tribal hamlets as well as several cattle farms and slum pockets with a population of over 40,000 people.

Meanwhile, there are rumours among the people that the forest department has released the leopard. Kunal Chaudhari, a member of the team doing camera trapping study in Aarey milk Colony since 2015-16, said, "There is a rumour being spread among the locals that the attacks started taking place after more than 800 acres was declared as forest because the forest department released leopards, allegedly to drive away people from the area, which is completely false. From September 2017 to August 2021, there was no human-animal conflict reported from Aarey despite the fact that there were six-eight individuals (including cubs) that were photographed in Aarey Milk Colony. It's difficult to say why the conflict started again in August 2021. The forest department team along with our team and team of researchers from Dr Vidya Athreya's team are taking all the possible steps to trap the suspected leopard C32 responsible for the attacks."

Highly placed sources in the forest department, requesting anonymity, told mid-day that the suspected leopard C32 was caught in photos at least two times near the cages but it did not enter the cage.

The leopard allegedly mock charged Rajendra Amar Singh Rawat, 28, a resident of unit 31, on Sunday around 6 pm

Tranquilisation not possible

Biologist and Director of Wildlife Conservation Society-India Dr Vidya Athreya said, "Unlike tigers who are larger and slower, leopards quickly jump off once the dart hits them and it takes about 15-20 minutes for the drugs to work, during this time the leopard could be far away where we cannot find it, or for example could fall asleep in a water body and die or could sleep near a person's house which makes it dangerous for both the leopard and the people when it comes out of anaesthesia."

Honorary Wildlife Warden of Mumbai Suburbs Mayur Kamath said, "Tranquilisation is not an option in such a scenario as a darted animal can enter any hamlet or premises, injuring people in the process and creating more casualties."

Leopard mock-charges man at Aarey on Sunday evening

The trail behind Chhota Kashmir where the mock charge took place

Another incident of mock charge, wherein the leopard takes the stance to charge at people, took place on Sunday around 6 pm. Rajendra Amar Singh Rawat, 28, a resident of unit 31, told mid-day, "Another boy and I from our area were walking through a small trail behind Chhota Kashmir when suddenly a leopard mock charged at us. We ran towards the road and when we turned back the animal ran away into the bushes."