Bhayandar wakes to terror as leopard jumps balconies, injures residents

After a sixhour operation the Maharashtra Forest Department with support from the Mira Bhayandar Municipal Corporation MBMC police and wildlife conservation NGOs safely rescued a leopard that had entered a residential area in Bhayandar East triggering a humanndashwildlife conflict in which seven people were injuredThe leopard was first spotted late on Thursday night by a local animal feeder who alerted the police Officers conducted a search along BP Road No 5 in Bhayandar East but were unable to trace the animal at the time Panic broke out early Friday morning when the leopard entered residential buildings in the area and attacked multiple peopleResidents recount horrorAnkit Gupta a resident of Parijat A and B Cooperative Housing Society said residents were initially told that the animal had been spotted behind the building the previous night ldquoIn the morning around 730 am I was at my dairy shop when I heard people screaming That is when we realised the leopard had entered a firstfloor flat through a balcony and injured a girl It later attacked several othersrdquo he saidAnother resident Prashant Makwana expressed shock at the incident ldquoThere is no forest patch nearby Sanjay Gandhi National Park and the mangroves are far from here We are still wondering how the leopard reached this areardquo he saidRescue operation and chaosThe Thane Territorial Forest Department Sanjay Gandhi National Park authorities MBMC and police were informed SGNP Director Anita Patil and Deputy Conservator of Forest Sachin Repal dispatched rescue teams Wildlife NGOs including SARRPIndia WWA and RAWW assisted in the operationRescue efforts were hampered by crowding after local political leaders arrived at the spot drawing supporters and onlookers A resident said the presence of politicians added to the chaos and made crowd control difficult for policeSGNP veterinarian Dr Nikhil Bangar said the leopard was eventually darted on the first floor where it had taken shelter inside a toilet ldquoThe window opening was very small so we had to use a blowpipe instead of a tranquilliser gun The leopard is around three to four years old A decision on whether it will be released into the wild or kept in captivity will be taken after further examinationrdquo he said6No of hours rescue op lastedLeopardndashhuman conflict incidents in 2025December Leopard entered Nagpur city rescued by forest departmentNovember Leopard injured five people in Nashik before rescueNovember Leopard rescued from second floor of underconstruction building in Nagpurrsquos Bhandewadi areaNovember Leopard injured three people in Kolhapur before being rescuedTimeline of attacksDwarka BhuvanIn another incident at Dwarka Bhuvan on Talav Road the leopard jumped into a firstfloor balcony and bit the hand of Deepu Bhowmick 52 who managed to shut the grill and escape ldquoI have lived here for 25 years There are no forests nearby We are all wondering how the leopard came hererdquo Bhowmick saidParas BuildingThe first attack occurred near Paras Building where 50yearold Rakesh Yadav and his family friend 19yearold Shyaam Pratap Sahani were returning after breakfast around 8 am Sahani who had arrived in Mumbai just two days earlier in search of work was scratched by the leopard which was hiding behind parked motorcycles ldquoIt first attacked my uncle and then came at me I started shouting for helprdquo Sahani saidYadav said the attack happened in seconds ldquoHad we fallen the injuries could have been far more seriousrdquo he saidParijat ApartmentThe most serious attack took place at Parijat Apartment where 23yearold Anjali Tak was asleep when the leopard entered her room through a balcony The animal scratched her face and head causing serious injuries Her sister and mother escaped with minor wounds A relative Chagannlal Bagrecha rushed in with sanitation workers and helped drive the leopard away Anjali was later shifted to KEM Hospital for advanced treatmentThursdayNight the leopard was first spottedInjured at hospitalldquoSince 9 am on Friday morning we have had seven patients of leopard attack come into our hospital We instantly assembled a team of surgeons physicians anaesthetists casualty medical officers onduty medical officers nurses and me Two patients have been moved to KEM given the serious nature of their injuries and prior medical historyrdquo said Additional Civil Surgeon Dr Smita AdeWhat to do if a wild animal enters your localityDo Stay calm and immediately inform the Forest Department or police control room Keep a safe distance and ensure children and pets remain indoors Shut doors windows gates and balcony grills Follow instructions issued by forest officials and police Allow clear access and escape routes for rescue teamsDont Do not chase corner or provoke the animal Do not make loud noises or attempt to scare it Do not block escape routes or surround the animal Do not crowd the area or take videosWho to callMaharashtra Forest Department0222544 5459Local police control room100 112The injuredPicsAditi AlurkarRakesh Yadav 50 who was injured when leopard attacked him near his buildingShyaam Pratap Sahani 19 who sustained injuries while returning home after breakfastDeepu Bhowmick 52 who was injured after leopard jumped into his balconyKhushi Tak 19 who suffered minor injuries during the leopard attack at her residenceBharti Tak 55 who sustained injuries while escaping the leopardChagannlal Bagrecha 48 who was injured while helping rescue a family