A motorcyclist narrowly escaped injury after a leopard allegedly tried to pounce on him late Tuesday night while he was returning home from work in Vasai. The man, identified as Shah Rukh Khan, fell off his motorcycle onto a country-made road in the Bhoidapada area, immediately shouting for help. His cries startled the leopard, prompting it to retreat, while security personnel rushed to assist him. Local residents, who frequently use the same route to commute, are now in a state of panic after the incident. The Valiv police station was informed and arrived on the scene, where they preserved photographs of paw prints found on the road for further investigation. Police suspect the animal involved was a leopard and have alerted forest officials to the potential presence of the big cat.
Dilip Ghughe, Senior Inspector of Valiv police, confirmed the motorcyclist was unharmed. "We have preserved the paw prints for investigation, and the forest department has been informed about the possible leopard sighting," he said. Authorities are searching for additional evidence, including more paw prints, scratch marks on trees, and droppings to trace the animal's movements. This comes after a similar incident last March when a male leopard was spotted near the Indo-Portuguese Fort in Vasai, causing the disappearance of several stray dogs and prompting a lengthy 25-day operation by wildlife officials to capture the animal.
Forest officials have not confirmed any human-leopard conflict in the area. Range Forest Officer Rita Vaidya noted that a report from the previous day claiming an injury from a leopard attack appeared misleading, with images showing a cheetah—a species not found in Maharashtra. Honorary Wildlife Warden of Thane, Rohit Mohite, also suggested the motorcyclist might have been injured after falling from his bike, with the leopard possibly crossing the road at the same time. The investigation is ongoing, with forest department officials coordinating with local police, and camera traps set up to determine whether the animal involved was a leopard or a jungle cat.