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Pune: A man-eating leopard that had terrorised Pimparkhed village and nearby areas in Pune district for nearly three weeks was finally shot dead in a late-night operation jointly carried out by the Forest Department and a rescue team. The big cat had been blamed for three deaths since mid-October, triggering widespread fear and anger across several talukas, including Junnar, Shirur, Ambegaon, and Khed.
The first attack occurred on October 12 when a five-year-old girl was mauled to death. Within days, an 82-year-old woman and a 13-year-old boy were also killed in separate incidents. The series of fatal encounters plunged the local community into panic, with villagers fearing to step out after dusk.
Public outrage intensified following the death of the teenage boy. Enraged villagers torched a forest patrol vehicle and a local base camp in protest, accusing officials of inaction. On Monday, demonstrations spilled onto the Pune–Nashik highway near Manchar, where villagers staged an 18-hour blockade demanding that the leopard be neutralised immediately.
In response to the escalating unrest, the Pune Conservator of Forests, Ashish Thackeray, secured approval from the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) to eliminate the animal. A special team, including veterinarian Dr Satvik Pathak and expert marksmen Jubin Postwala and Dr Prasad Dabholkar, was assigned to carry out the operation.
Using camera traps and thermal drones, the team tracked the leopard to a location about 500 metres from the last attack site. When a tranquilliser dart misfired during the attempt to capture it alive, the animal charged towards the rescuers. The sharpshooters were forced to open fire at around 10.30 PM, killing the five to six-year-old leopard.
Following the operation, the carcass was shown to villagers before being transported to the Manikdoh Leopard Rescue Centre for a post-mortem examination. The entire mission was conducted under the supervision of senior forest officers and with assistance from local residents, bringing an end to nearly three weeks of terror in the region.
