Mum and daughter get a surprise guest when leopard falls through their roof; the scaredy-cat is too afraid to stay for dinner, but manages to grab a puppy as a takeaway meal on its way out
Zankar Wedhe and her daughter Ashal were caught by surprise
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A mother and daughter were caught by surprise when a leopard fell through the roof of their home at Retibunder, near Thane-Ghodbunder Road. But the big cat turned out to be more of a scaredy-cat — even before the humans could digest the fact that there was a leopard in their house, the animal raced through the open door. The animal may not have stayed for dinner, but it managed to grab a puppy for a takeaway meal on its way out.
On Sunday, at around 8.30 pm, Zankar Wedhe is cooking dinner while her daughter Ashal studies
A forest guard from the area said, "The incident occurred last Sunday, when Zankar Wedhe was cooking and her daughter Ashal was studying. They heard a sound from their roof and went outside to check what was happening. Seconds later, the leopard came crashing down into the house. The animal immediately ran towards the door and, while escaping, picked up a puppy from outside the house."
A leopard from the nearby national park strays into their neighbourhood near Thane-Ghodbunder Road, and jumps onto their roof
Leopards spotted often
It's not all that uncommon to spot leopards in the area, since it is quite close to the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP). In fact, the past three to four days, there have been quite a few leopard sightings in the vicinity. The locals immediately informed the forest department officials about the unusual guest, and patrolling has been increased to avoid any man-animal conflict.
The sudden noise on their roof takes Zankar and Ashal by surprise, and they decide to go out and take a look
Locals aren't afraid
Wildlife Institute of India's Nikit Surve, who has been researching leopards at SGNP and Tungareshwar Wildlife Sanctuary, said that leopard activity in the area is common and there is nothing to fear about.
Mother and daughter rush outside to look for the intruder. Seconds later, the roof gives way and the leopard starts to fall
"Due to the close proximity of SGNP, leopard activity in this area is common. The villagers don't see leopards as a threat, as they have learned to live alongside them in peace."
The big cat goes crashing down into their home, but it's more afraid of the humans than they are of it
On Wednesday, Surve joined the forest department team and Range Forest Officer (Yeoor) Sanjay Waghmode, who conducted an awareness programme to teach the villagers about the dos and don'ts during an encounter with leopards.
Zankar and Ashal just stare, amazed at the sight of the leopard in their house
The forest department team also gave the villagers the control room numbers, in case of an emergency.
The scared leopard runs straight through the open door and flees, but not before grabbing a stray puppy for dinner. Illustration/Ravi Jadhav
Range Forest Officer Waghmode said, "The incident was just an accident, but the good thing is that it has cleared the myth that leopards attack humans."
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