Wildlife RESQ and Pune Forest Department Swiftly Rescue Strayed Leopard in Chikali

In Pune, Maharashtra, another incident involving a leopard entering a residential area has been documented. Neha Panchamiya, the Founder and President of RESQ CT, a wildlife conservationist and rescue specialist, spearheaded a successful operation with her team to rescue a young male leopard in Patil Nagar, PCMC. The rescue mission unfolded in the early morning hours when the Pune Forest Department and the Wildlife RESQ team promptly responded to a report of a leopard sighting in a wood storage shed in Chikali around 6:30 am.

Neha Panchamiya posted a video on a platform detailing the unfolding of the operation. In her post, she stated, "An early morning leopard call mobilized @resqct @PuneForest @PCcityPolice @CP_PCCity @FirePcmc for a rescue in Patil Nagar, PCMC, resulting in the successful rescue of a young male leopard that had strayed into the bustling locality of Chikali, PCMC." Responding to a sighting near a wood storage shed, teams tracked the leopard through to cattle shed and into a jowar field between the houses. The rescue presented a complex scenario due to the dense vegetation closely interspersed within the residential setting. Neha emphasized that the success of this operation would not have been possible without the dedicated efforts of her team.

Early morning leopard call mobilized @resqct@PuneForest@PCcityPolice@CP_PCCity@FirePcmc for a rescue in Patil Nagar, PCMC culminating in the successful rescue of a young male leopard that had strayed in the bustling locality of Chikali, PCMC. Responding to a sighting near a… pic.twitter.com/e1fl05xhkh

— Neha Panchamiya (@neha_panchamiya) December 28, 2023

The leopard was discovered in cattle shed adjacent to a house in a densely populated area with houses and small fields, adding complexity to the situation due to the high number of people. Nachiket Utpat, Director of Wildlife Management at RESQ CT, noted, "The location presented unique challenges due to the closeness of human homes and the dense plants in the area." Given the risks involved, traditional methods such as using nets were deemed impractical. The PCMC Fire Department's Bronto Skylift played a pivotal role in the operation. DCF Mohite of the Pune Forest Department explained, "Using the Skylift, the team was able to safely tranquilize the leopard from a height, at a perfect angle, guided by the drone."