Leopard enters residential complex in Thane district; injures 4 persons, captured hours later

Mumbai/Thane, Dec 19 (PTI) Four persons were injured in an attack by a leopard after it strayed into a residential complex in Bhayandar town in Maharashtra's Thane district on Friday morning, triggering panic among the locals and sending authorities into a tizzy.

The feline was later tranquilised and captured in an operation that lasted a few hours, officials said.

"A leopard strayed into a densely-populated residential area located along the Talav Road in Bhayandar east in the early hours, and attacked some passersby. The big cat then entered a building named 'Parijat', where it attacked a few residents," an official said.

The leopard hid inside a room in the housing society for some time. Viral videos on social media showed the animal moving through a narrow space as well as on what appeared to be a staircase.

"The sudden appearance of the big cat triggered chaos, with frightened residents rushing indoors," the official said.

The injured persons were later rushed to nearby hospitals, where they are undergoing treatment and are said to be stable, he said.

On being alerted about the incident, personnel of the Navghar police station and Bhayandar fire brigade rushed to the spot and launched an operation to secure the area. Teams from the forest department in Thane and the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) also came to the spot.

The rescue teams then managed to drive the leopard into a flat in the same building.

"The animal was eventually cornered and trapped inside a first floor flat in the building, preventing further harm to the residents. The entire building and the surrounding areas were cordoned off as a precautionary measure, and the residents were advised to remain indoors," the official said.

The forest department and SGNP teams then hit the leopard with a tranquiliser shot and it was successfully captured without any harm, he said.

The animal will be shifted to the Leopard Rescue Center in the SGNP, located in Mumbai's Borivali area, where it will be medically examined and the process for its rehabilitation will be initiated.

"During the rescue operation, our teams closely monitored the situation on the ground and rescue support was kept on standby if required," said Pawan Sharma from RAWW (Resqink Association for Wildlife Welfare), who is also an honorary wildlife warden. PTI COR ZA NR NP