Leopard reportedly attacks 15 people in Ratnagiri, hunt on to trap her

The leopard is roaming with her two cubs. Representation pic

A rescue team from SGNP along with the Forest Department officials and locals in Ratnagiri district is looking for a leopard, believed to be behind 15 attacks on humans over three months. According to the locals, the leopard is moving around with two cubs, making the task of trapping her difficult.

The leopard rescue team from the Sanjay Gandhi National Park reached Konkan on Sunday, following the latest incident of man-animal conflict in Ratnagiri. Janardhan Chandurkar, a resident of Jambhuad village, was injured after a leopard attacked him when he had taken his cattle for grazing in the wee hours of Saturday. He said the leopard, a female, was with two cubs when she attacked him.

A leopard rescue team from SGNP is helping Ratnagiri Forest Department officials trap the leopard

Since July, nearly 15 attacks have taken place in villages within 8-km radius in Ratnagiri district. Locals and the Forest Department officials believe that one leopard is behind all the attacks and villagers have demanded that she be trapped.

"So far, there have been 14 to 15 attacks on humans by leopards in Ratnagiri district. Chief wildlife warden of Maharashtra has given permission to trap the leopard, hence, three members of our leopard rescue team have gone to Ratnagiri to help the local teams," Range Forest Officer Vijay Barabde from SGNP told mid-day.

The teams have already installed camera traps to monitor the activity of the leopard and set up a trap cage. Former SGNP veterinary officer Dr Vinaya Jangale is also helping the officials and the SGNP team in case the leopard needs to be tranquilised.

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