Mumbai: Leopard spotted in Goregaon, does U-turn on seeing milkman

CCTV grabs of the encounter. Locals say leopard sightings are fairly common

While most residents of Green View were fast asleep, a leopard entered the housing society at Bimbisar Nagar, Goregaon East, at the crack of dawn on Friday. The only person to spot the big cat was a milkman. The CCTV footage shows the leopard and the man in the same frame.

The animal, however, did not react to his presence and went the other way. Screen grabs from the CCTV footage soon went viral. While some media channels claimed that there was panic in the area, the locals that mid-day reached out to said this wasn't a one-off incident. Leopards are routinely sighted. A local resident, requesting anonymity, said, "We should not panic. Given the building's proximity to the forest, leopards end up straying inside the compound."

Also Read: Maharashtra: Leopard spotted in Nagpur city; search on to rescue it

Mumbaikars for SGNP, a collective of citizens and SGNP team, along with the forest department staff, soon reached the housing complex to speak with residents. The collective has been working to reduce man-animal conflict in the area through online awareness programmes, where they also discuss precautionary measures.