Aurangabad, Dec 28:
Tension prevailed amongst the villagers staying in villages around Apegaon after moving a leopardess with her two cubs was spotted in the past two days.
The leopardess with two cubs crossed the way of Prahlad Aute (director of Sant Eknath Sakhar Karkhana) in Maygaon Shivar (in Paithan tehsil) on Saturday. On Monday, Vilas Kharat and Raju Rajguru spotted the wildlife in Gopewadi Shivar while heading towards Naigaon.
The forest guard Raju Jadhav reached the spot to trace the leopardess but was in vain. The forest personnel had placed one more cage in Gopewadi as the movement of wildlife is frequent in that vicinity on Monday. The department of forest (DoF) should increase the manpower to arrest the leopard on priority, demanded NCP''s tehsil level contact chief Dutta Gorde.
The villagers claimed that the forest personnel failed to arrest the leopard, although the wildlife animal has created terror in Paithan tehsil for the past one and a half months. The farmers are avoiding to work in their farms situated on the banks of Godavari River. DoF had deployed a squad of forest guards. The cages are placed in Apegaon and four other places. Besides, five cameras are fixed in Waghadi, Apegaon and Naigaon villages.
Earlier, the leopard had attacked farmer Ashok Aute and his son in their farm on November 16. Since then, the farmers are working in their fields on their risks. The farms situated on the rive bank wears a deserted look since afternoon, it is learnt.