Patrolling underway in areas of leopard sightings in Mumbai, no need to panic: Forest dept

Mumbai, Nov 30 (PTI) The Forest Department is regularly patrolling areas in at least four suburbs of Mumbai that share common boundaries with the Sanjay Gandhi National Park after frequent sighting of leopards, an official said.

He appealed to people not to panic after separate videos of big cats roaming in the border areas of Mulund, Bhandup, Powai, and Goregaon went viral in recent weeks.

"The situation in Mumbai is different from Junnar in Pune and Nashik, where incidents of human-animal conflicts are on the rise," said Pawan Sharma of RAWW (Resqink Association for Wildlife Welfare).

He said the sighting of leopards in those suburbs of Mumbai which share boundaries with the Sanjay Gandhi National Park and Aarey Forests was a common occurance.

Sharma said people should be aware of fake AI-generated videos, which spread unnecessary rumours, adding to the panic. PTI ZA NSK