Leopard on the loose: Nagaon village search called off after day-long effort

More than 24 hours after a leopard entered Nagaon village near Alibag the search for the animal continued on Wednesday Dense coconut and supari plantations many barricaded posed major challenges for the forest department The search was called off in the evening as officials believe the leopard may have left the areaOn Tuesday morning two people walking along a road in Nagaon were attacked by the leopard in an unprovoked confrontation causing panic in the areaNagaon sarpanch Harshada Mayeker said the incident began around 1030 am on Tuesday when two people walking along a road were attacked ldquoEveryone was shocked nothing like this has ever happened here We alerted the forest department and police who arrived within half an hour to locate and rescue the leopardrdquo she saidStudents were safely sent home via school buses or picked up by parentsA resident told midday that the village home to roughly 12000 people and nine schools acted quickly once news spread About 700800 students were safely sent home via school buses or picked up by parentsAn extensive search using thermal drones failed to locate the big catThe leopard possibly agitated by the crowd later injured five more people including a forest department officer All were treated for minor wounds Punebased NGO RESQ CT joined efforts in the evening to tranquilise the leopardForest department officials and the police arrived to locate and rescue the animal within half and hour of being alerted by localsBut thick plantations and fencing made tracking difficult and thermal drones were of no use Over 150 personnel from the forest department police and NGOs continued the search overnight and resumed operations on Wednesday morningNagaon sarpanch Harshada Mayeker and local police review safety measures PicsBy Special ArrangementExpert SpeakNeha Panchamia RESQ founderldquoOur Pune team reached Nagaon in threeandahalf hours Thick vegetation numerous hiding spots and large crowds kept disturbing the leopard Thermal drones couldnrsquot penetrate dense plantations or structures Despite nightlong searches it appears the leopard has left the areardquoLeopard spotted in Nagaon villageKedar GoreThe Corbett Foundation ldquoLeopards venturing into cities doesnrsquot always mean they are maneaters These incidents often reflect habitat fragmentation lack of wild prey and mismanaged waste attracting stray dogs People need awareness of safety measures Releasing goats in forests can worsen conflicts by spreading invasive species and affecting forest qualityrdquoDos and Donrsquots If a wild animal enters your areaPunebased NGO RESQ reaches Nagaon village on Tuesday eveningDosgtgt Stay calm and immediately inform the forest department or policegtgt Keep a safe distance keep pets and children indoorsgtgt Close doors windows and gatesgtgt Follow instructions from authorities avoid crowding the areaDonrsquotsgtgt Donrsquot chase or corner the animalgtgt Avoid loud noises that may disturb itgtgt Never block its escape routesEmergency contactMaharashtra forest department 0222544545910K12KPeople in the villages and nine schools acted swiftly after the initial attack7No of people injured by the leopard