23 December,2021 08:45 AM IST | Mumbai | Ranjeet Jadhav
The leopard had also swum across the Ulhas river
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Two days after the forest department expressed its delight over a radio-collared leopard walking all the way from Ahmednagar district to Ulhasnagar, the locals' worry over the animal making a green patch in the area its home seems to be turning into a matter of concern. Reason: the leopard has started preying on cattle. Locals from some of the nearby villages have passed a resolution requesting the forest department to capture the animal. In view of this, the department has formed a seven-member committee to decide on the further course of action.
The Vasat-Shelavli village gram panchayat and Jambhul gram panchayat near Kalyan are not happy with the presence of the leopard, hence they have asked the forest department to trap the animal.
Honorary Wildlife Warden (HWW) of Thane and Founder of NGO Ashwamedh Foundation Avinash Harad has been in constant touch with the villagers and forest department. He and other local NGO members, Datta Bambe from Ambernath, Manohar Maher from Badlapur and Prem Aher from Kalyan are helping the forest department in spreading awareness among the locals.
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Sources said that in the past few weeks there have been several instances of dogs and cattle getting killed, which the locals believe is being done by the collared leopard.
Thane Forest Department (Territorial) has formed a seven-member committee under Deputy Conservator of Forest (DCF) Gajendra Hire to decide on further strategy with regard to the leopard.
The letter, which the forest department has sent to the committee members, states, "It has been observed that in recent times there was increased activity of the leopard in the Kalyan range of the forest department, which includes villages like Vasant Shelavli, Nandap, Ane, Nalembe and Jambhul Dahagaon, and there is an atmosphere of fear. In order to decide on the further course of action and prevent human-animal conflicts, a seven-member committee has been formed under the DCF-Thane (territorial)." The meeting of the committee will be held on December 23 at 12 noon.
