Relief for Aarey locals as leopard caught

Thirty-three days after forest officials mounted efforts to trap female leopard C32 that was suspected to be behind the recent series of attacks on locals inside Aarey Milk Colony, the big cat walked into a cage on Wednesday. Since August 31, nine people including a 4-year-old boy had been injured in leopard attacks, while many others claimed that a big cat had charged at them.

Confirming the development, Principal Chief Conservator of Forest Sunil Limaye told mid-day, "The permission to capture the suspected leopard C32 was extended till November 30. According to the team of researchers working on the ground, the leopard was successfully captured on Wednesday evening."

Officials said the leopard walked into a cage kept at Unit 31. As the news spread, several Aarey residents gathered at the spot, with many of them beaming light from their mobile phones into the cage.

A wildlife lover from the area said some people even tried to provoke the leopard.

Leopard C32 will be kept at SGNP's leopard rescue centre

Local Shiv Sena leader Pramukh Sandeep Gadhave said, "Around 6.45 pm, I got a call saying a leopard had got trapped in a cage near Unit 31. I rushed to the spot and found more than 200 people were jostling to get a glimpse of the leopard. As the animal was getting irritated, we made sure that people stayed away from the cage. We also informed the forest department and the police."

Officials reached the area at 7.30 pm. The team of researchers that has set up camera traps and is studying the visuals matched the rosette patterns of the trapped leopard with the images of C32 and confirmed that their target was finally in the cage. The leopard was taken to Sanjay Gandhi National Park where a veterinary officer will check its health. It will be kept in the leopard rescue centre, said sources.

In the past one month, many images of C32 were taken by camera traps. While she had come closer to cages, she never entered any of them. Other than C32, three more leopards were trapped and two of them were released into the wild.

The permission to trap C32 lapsed on October 31 after which the operation was briefly suspended. Officials got the permission renewed then.

Sources said camera trapping will continue in Aarey considering human activities increase during Diwali, particularly at night.