Six people were injured after a leopard entered a residential area in Mulund and attacked them on Saturday. The leopard was rescued after a three-hour operation by Forest Department officials, wildlife wardens and the police.
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According to officials, the leopard was first sighted in Nanipada in Mulund (East) around 7:15 a.m. Residents called the Mumbai Police control room and the information was relayed to the Navghar police as the area is under their jurisdiction.
“We deployed teams to cordon the area off and informed the Forest Department, who sent assistance,” said Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone VII) Akhilesh Singh. The Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) sent a team to rescue the leopard, and three wildlife wardens reached the spot too.
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The leopard attacked six residents, including Ganesh Pujari, and entered Mr. Pujari’s house on the ground floor of Utsav building. Mr. Pujari’s son Amit woke up due to the commotion and ran out. The leopard went into the bedroom and sat under Amit’s bed.
“Our team first locked the door, as confining the leopard was a priority. The area has very narrow lanes and is congested. Had the leopard come out of the house, locating it would have been difficult,” said Jitendra Ramgaokar, Deputy Forest Conservator, Thane.
The SGNP team shot a tranquiliser dart through the window, and after the sedative took effect the leopard was taken to a medical care facility in SGNP. Officials from the SGNP then implanted a microchip under the leopard’s skin and will release the animal into the park after a full medical check-up.
“Crowd control was a major challenge as a lot of people were trying to get a look at the leopard,” Mr. Ramgaokar said.
Mr. Pujari, who sustained head injuries, and the five others were taken to Agrawal Hospital in Mulund. The other victims are Balaji Kamte, Suresh Basutkar, Sunita Sonawane, Kistamma Palle and Savita Kute.