Hinjewadi (Pune): A leopard cub was found in a sugarcane field at Nere Dattawadi, a few kilometres from IT Nagar. The scared cub was found around 8.30 am when sugarcane was being harvested in the field of local farmer Shantaram Jadhav.
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Local farmers have informed the forest department and the puppy is being taken care of. Meanwhile, leopard habitat has been found in Nere Dattawadi area for the past several years. Till date, many stray dogs and pets in the area have been targeted and trampled by leopards. CCTV footage installed in the area shows the leopards roaming and hunting on several occasions. But when will leopards, which are frequently caught on CCTV, be caught in the forest department cage? This is the question the villagers of Nere Dattawadi are asking.
The Nere area has a high concentration of sugarcane cultivation, with leopard cubs frequently found in sugarcane fields. Therefore, the possibility of leopard males and females living in the area, the local villagers are scared to do agricultural work. Rahul Jadhav, Laxman Jadhav, Swapnil Gaikwad, Balasaheb Jadhav, Datta Jadhav and Tejas Jadhav have demanded that the forest department should set up cages in the area and make permanent arrangements for the leopards.