Leopard strays into defunct factory at Marol, is rescued

MUMBAI: After living in fear for four days, Marol residents were finally relieved after a two-and-a-half-year-old male leopard that had strayed from Aarey Colony into a defunct factory near SevenHills Hospital was rescued on Thursday. No tranquilliser was used to trap the big cat, said forest officials.

The leopard was taken to Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) and kept under observation. Late on Thursday, he was released in the core forest adjoining Aarey Colony, said Dr Shailesh Pethe, chief veterinary officer, SGNP.

“The residents of a chawl on Military Road had first spotted the leopard on Sunday. He had entered a room on the first floor,” said Mayur Kamath, honorary wildlife warden. The residents informed the SGNP control room. Despite a search, forest officials did not spot the big cat. “On a suspicion that he might be hiding in the nearby abandoned factory, we set up camera traps there,” said J Ramgaonkar, deputy conservator of forests, Thane division. “He was finally caught on camera.”

Kamath said the camera traps also helped identify the big cat. “We realized he was from Aarey as he had been camera-trapped there during the 2017 census.” Forest officials set up cages at three vantage points on the premises. “Two days ago, we laid the cages. On Thursday, around 3am, he walked into one of them,” said Ramgaonkar.

In December 2017, a female leopard cub had strayed into a playschool at Sher-e-Punjab, a few kilometres from Marol, and was rescued.