Thane: A leopard has been sighted around some residential and industrial complexes in the bordering Vartak Nagar area Sanjay Gandhi national park for the last three nights, forest officials said on Friday.
While there are no reports of any attacks on humans or domestic animals, the repeated spotting has raised concerns among residents and officials. A team led by Girija Desai Patil, Assistant Conservator Forest Officer, Sandeep More, following the instructions of the Beat Officer, Thane Range Forest Office; Ashok Pataskar, Round Officer, Dattatreya Pawar, Beat Officer Kolshet intensified patrolling and also installed cameras to check the movement of wild cats in the area.
The sighting of the leopard was first reported by the security staff of a company in Vartak Nagar, who spotted it from near the main gate in the early hours of Wednesday.
“The CCTV In the footage, it is seen that the guard is going towards the gate and is terrified after seeing the leopard outside. When the leopard was seen running, the guard informed his companions. Another nearby camera also showed the cat’s movement,” informed Rakesh Bhoir, Upper Range Forest Officer, Thane.
The next morning, the leopard was spotted in the premises of a neighboring residential complex.
The third spotting was reported a Bhim Nagar The slum dweller in the same area late on Thursday night after which along with the police and forest team Rohit MohiteThane Forest Warden and Activist Nitesh Pancholi The area was inspected till Friday morning.
“We could not trace the leopard but are installing cameras to track its movements. There is no reason to be scared but we are appealing to the residents and especially the security staff to be alert and not to venture outside alone and alert us if they spot a feral cat,” said Sandeep More, Beat Officer , Range Forest Office, said. Thane
Pancholi said the sighting of leopards in Thane, which shares a border with the forest, is not unusual and appealed to residents to maintain cleanliness in their societies and alert the authorities if they are sighted.
While there are no reports of any attacks on humans or domestic animals, the repeated spotting has raised concerns among residents and officials. A team led by Girija Desai Patil, Assistant Conservator Forest Officer, Sandeep More, following the instructions of the Beat Officer, Thane Range Forest Office; Ashok Pataskar, Round Officer, Dattatreya Pawar, Beat Officer Kolshet intensified patrolling and also installed cameras to check the movement of wild cats in the area.
The sighting of the leopard was first reported by the security staff of a company in Vartak Nagar, who spotted it from near the main gate in the early hours of Wednesday.
“The CCTV In the footage, it is seen that the guard is going towards the gate and is terrified after seeing the leopard outside. When the leopard was seen running, the guard informed his companions. Another nearby camera also showed the cat’s movement,” informed Rakesh Bhoir, Upper Range Forest Officer, Thane.
The next morning, the leopard was spotted in the premises of a neighboring residential complex.
The third spotting was reported a Bhim Nagar The slum dweller in the same area late on Thursday night after which along with the police and forest team Rohit MohiteThane Forest Warden and Activist Nitesh Pancholi The area was inspected till Friday morning.
“We could not trace the leopard but are installing cameras to track its movements. There is no reason to be scared but we are appealing to the residents and especially the security staff to be alert and not to venture outside alone and alert us if they spot a feral cat,” said Sandeep More, Beat Officer , Range Forest Office, said. Thane
Pancholi said the sighting of leopards in Thane, which shares a border with the forest, is not unusual and appealed to residents to maintain cleanliness in their societies and alert the authorities if they are sighted.
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