DEOLALI CAMP: A leopard’s dead body was recovered yesterday from Lahvit village of Nashik tehsil, and the incident has become a topic of discussion among the forest department and villagers.
During the summer season, leopards are usually spotted in the Darna belt, taking shelter in the sugarcane fields. However, with the onset of monsoon season, the leopards start looking for a secure space in forest areas.
Yesterday, Uttamrao Kale spotted a one-and-a-half-years old dead leopard near his house in the Kala Male area of Lahvit village and informed the forest department immediately. The news spread like wildfire in the whole village.
When Kale contacted Forest Range Officer Vivek Bhadane, Bhadhane, along with Forestor Anil Ahirrao, Forest Ranger Vijay Singh Patil and Ambadas Jagtap, rushed to the spot. While inspecting the carcass, the officers suspected an illness attached to the leopard’s death.
The forest department shifted the leopard’s body to the government nursery at Gangapur and it was cremated by the officials. The actual cause of the leopard’s death is still unknown.
Boy injured in leopard attack
The incidents of human-animal conflicts are increasing steadily in the district. While the incident of leopard spotting in the Satpur area is still afresh, another case of human-animal conflict surfaced yesterday. A boy was severely injured in a leopard attack yesterday at Mharsul-Adgaon link road. As the boy sustained grave injuries, locals admitted him to Nashik’s private hospital for treatment.
As per the additional information received, there is a rural settlement adjacent to the Alandi canal on the Mharsul-Adgaon link road. Farmer Deepak Trimbak Deshmukh’s farm is situated in this locality. As Deepak Deshmukh’s son Sai was passing through this road, a leopard pounced on him and injured him severely. As soon as locals noticed the attack, they started shouting, and the leopard escaped the venue following the screams of the villagers. However, Sai got severely injured in the incident.
The locals immediately rushed Sai to a hospital. Upon learning of the incident, the forest department inspected the attack area and interacted with Sai at the hospital. The forest department has appealed to citizens to be vigilant following the presence of a leopard in their area.
