Man-eating leopard shot dead in Murbad

Forest officials resorted to the ultimate step after attempts to trap or tranquilise the animal had failed

A man-eating leopard which had created havoc in Waghachi Wadi, a village near Murbad, Thane district, was shot dead by forest officials at Kalband forest area in Tokawade village on Wednesday evening.

After failed attempts to set a trap or tranquilising the leopard, the officials had sought permission from wildlife headquarters at Nagpur to shoot it. A team from Sanjay Gandhi National Park had been dispatched to trap the leopard. Along with it, three shooters had been sent from the Thane Rural Police, and another five from the State Reserve Police Force (SRPF).

The leopard had killed two villagers in two days. Mirabai Vare, 54, was killed on Sunday, while Barku Bhau Bhoir, 52, a resident of Sonavale village in Murbad, was killed by the same leopard the day before.

As per the forest officials, the leopard was aggressive and not used to natural hunting. He was smart enough to avoid cages and traps set by the forest department. The villagers thus hit the panic button and went on to attack the forest department staff and vandalised vehicles. Considering the seriousness of the incident, Chief Wildlife Warden at Nagpur gave the order to shoot the animal at sight.

Originally published on The Golden Sparrow