Experts and locals concerned by sudden spate of attacks in a month despite eight leopards coexisting in the vicinity for more than two years
Volunteers install a camera trap inside Aarey Milk Colony
The sudden spurt in leopard attacks in Aarey Milk Colony in the past month has fuelled the suspicion that one particular big cat could be targeting the residents. The locals and experts have reasons to believe the theory as there was not a single attack for about two years. Since August 31, four people, including a four-year-old child, have been injured in leopard attacks.
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Apart from the four victims, at least five people have claimed that a leopard charged at them in recent weeks. Sources said officials from the Thane forest division and the Sanjay Gandhi National Park are trying to ascertain the root cause of the man-animal conflicts in Aarey. Wildlife conservationist Kedar Gore from The Corbett Foundation said, “The series of leopard attacks indicates that there is something wrong with an animal. In the larger interest of the people and the leopard, it should be trapped.”
Biologist Nikit Surve and a team of volunteers, including Raj Jadhav and Prasad Khandagale, Imran Udat, Kunal Chaudhari, Hitendra Pachkale and Wasim Athaniya, are setting up camera traps around the spots where people were attacked.
A camera trap being fixed to a tree inside Aarey Milk Colony
A resident of Unit 31 told mid-day, “At around 8 pm on Monday, a leopard mock-charged two persons walking on a road near the Chota Kashmir garden. When others shouted, the animal ran into the bushes. This is so scary considering that it’s a busy road with so many people around.” Locals said a trap cage has already been set up in Aarey and forest officials are camping in its vicinity. The milk colony spreads over 3,166 acres of which 808 acres were declared a forest earlier this year by the Maharashtra state government.
Director of Wildlife Conservation Society-India and Biologist Dr Vidya Athreya said, “I have read in the newspaper that there have been four incidents of man-animal conflict in Aarey Milk Colony and this behaviour of the leopard definitely points out that there is something wrong with the animal. All the incidents have happened in a small radius and it's difficult to say what kind of provocation the animal had to respond like this. If possible the animal definitely needs to be trapped and removed from the landscape. Also when humans and wildlife share space, man-animal conflicts will take place, however because of the citizen science movement it is easy now for the particular animal to be identified so it can be trapped immediately.”
Local rescues leopard cub in Aarey Colony
There has always been an argument about whether leopards roam near the previous Metro 3 car depot site in Aarey Milk Colony, but a leopard cub was rescued by the Forest Department few hundred metres away from the site, putting an end to the debate.
On Tuesday, Forest Department officials received a call in the afternoon about a leopard cub found near unit 21 in Aarey. Shailesh Pethe, veterinary officer of the SGNP, later said the animal is fine and it has been kept inside the car depot site for a reunion with its mother. A local resident had spotted the cub sitting behind some metal sheets.
The leopard cub was sitting behind the metal sheets along the boundary of the Metro 3 car shed site
Ajit Ashok Kavander, 24, said, “I was going towards Tapeshwar temple when I noticed the leopard cub sitting behind the metal sheets installed along the boundary of the car shed. It appeared weak and as there were chances that stray dogs might have attacked it, I took it to my house. As it was wet and shivering, I wrapped it in my shirt. Later I informed the police and the cub was handed over to the forest department”. The rescue of this cub proves that the car depot land has leopard activity.
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No. of leopard attacks in Aarey in past month
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