• Source:JND
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At least seven people were injured after a leopard entered the densely populated Shiv Nagar area of Pardi in Maharashtra’s Nagpur district on Wednesday morning. The Forest Department rescue team successfully rescued the leopard, and Maharashtra Forest Minister Ganesh Naik visited the injured at the hospital, stating that all of them are now out of danger.

"I met 7 patients, and all are out of danger, and I hope such incidents will not happen again in the future. That's why we will try to limit leopards within the jungle area. If any leopard accidentally enters residential areas, our forest department will alert residents. We have made arrangements for this," Ganesh Naik said.

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A video of the incident went viral, capturing the leopard climbing rooftops and peering into homes. Forest officials said the animal entered Shiv Nagar in Pardi during the early hours, moving through narrow lanes and terraces before attacking residents who came too close.

Residents recounted harrowing moments of fear, describing how the leopard appeared to watch a child inside a house before lunging at adults who intervened. One injured man said he was attacked on his balcony when the animal suddenly approached from behind, while others were hurt as the leopard charged at people standing outside their homes.

Minister Granted Permission For Leopard Sterilisation

The Forest Minister further stated that permission for leopard sterilisation has been granted on a limited scale, with the first six months used to assess its effectiveness before the Forest Department seeks central approval to expand the programme. Additionally, AI-driven sirens have been deployed to alert residents whenever a leopard, or even its shadow, is detected.

"We have obtained permission for sterilisation, but only on a very small scale. First, in six months, we will assess its success, and then we will seek approval from the central government to expand the programme. We are also trying to plant trees that those animals feed on, which are themselves prey for leopards, so that leopards are less likely to leave the jungles in search of food. We have also deployed AI-driven sirens that activate whenever a leopard, or even its shadow, is detected," he added.

Leopard Rescued Within An Hour

Meanwhile, Ajinkya Bhatkar, Honorary Wildlife Warden, stated that the Forest Department received reports of a leopard entering a residence and injuring one to two people at 7:30 am. Following this, the Conservator of Forests (CF) and Deputy Conservator of Forests (DCF) directed the Range Forest Officer (RFO) to deploy a transit treatment centre team.

"At around 07:30 am, the Forest Department received information that a leopard had entered a residential house, injuring 1-2 people. Immediately, CF (Conservator of Forests) and DCF (Deputy Conservator of Forests) instructed the RFO (Range Forest Officer) to send our transit treatment centre team," he said.

"They started the operation at around 9:30 am and completed it within an hour. Dr Kulsum darted at him, and the team rescued him and sent him to the transit treatment centre. The police also helped us a lot. This is a 3-year-old male leopard," he added.

Injured People Describe The Incident 

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An injured man said, "It (a leopard) entered our area and started attacking people. Around 6:30 pm, while I was standing outside my house, it attacked me and later attacked three more people. They are currently admitted." Another added, "I was standing on the balcony when it came from behind and started attacking. He was sitting on the bed, watching my daughter, ready to attack. When I tried to stop him, he attacked me. The incident happened at 06:30 pm."

(With ANI Inputs)

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