Pune: The Junnar forest division has captured four leopards — all in the age bracket of five to six years — in the Pimpri Pendhar , Otur, and Lendesthal regions of the division. According to officials, one of the two leopards caught in Pimpri Pendhar could be responsible for the death of 40-year-old Sujata Dere in an attack on Oct 9. "We have set up 30 trap cages and 15 trap cameras.
We caught a leopard on Oct 10, the day following the fatal attack. However, the other wild cats scattered from the region due to agitation by the locals. Six days later, we caught the second leopard in Pimpri Pendhar," range forest officer Pradeep Chavan said.
The two other leopards caught in Otur and Lendesthal were sent to Manikdoh Leopard Rescue Centre . The wild cats caught in Pimpri Pendhar underwent DNA testing, after which they, too, were sent to Manikdoh centre. Meanwhile, the forest department is still on the lookout for the leopard that killed a seven-year-old boy on Oct 18.
The department has deployed thermal drones in the area to determine the number of leopards, after which a proper system will be introduced to capture them. Theofficials have urged villagers to avoid stepping out alone andcarry torches and canes with them for safety..
