Man injured in leopard attack in Hadapsar, animal rescued by Forest Dept in the night

The attack was reported at 6 am near Gosavi Vasti, located some distance from the campus of vaccine manufacturer Serum Institute of India (SII), which is a central player in the global supply of Covishield, a vaccine against Covid-19.

Meanwhile, a number of volunteers from NGOs also took part in the search and eventual rescue of the leopard. (Express Photo by Arul Horizon)

The injured person, Sambhaji Baban Atole (45), a resident of Gosavi Vasti, is an employee of the Serum Institute of India and works in the civil department of the vaccine major. Gosavi Vasti is a densely populated area with mostly small houses.

Speaking to The Indian Express, Atole said, “I was out for a morning walk and was later working out at a walking track in the area, near Gavdevi temple. My friend Amol Londhe, who was with me, said he will do push ups… so he took a break and stood nearby. All of a sudden, the leopard attacked me from behind, from the left side. My friend raised an alarm and tried to scare off the animal. But by the time it left me, the animal had inflicted injuries on my left leg, back, and chest. The leopard fled into a nearby area with tree cover.”

Police were alerted about the leopard’s presence by local residents.

Inspector Arvind Gokule, in-charge of Hadapsar police station, said, “After receiving information, we dispatched a team to the area. We immediately alerted Forest Department officials. Later, more personnel were deployed for crowd control and any other assistance required for the Forest Department team. The location of the attack is not far from the campus of Serum Institute.”

Deputy Conservator of Forest for Pune Division, Rahul Patil, said, “After receiving information about the leopard attack, we have dispatched our team. Meanwhile, as per the standard operating procedure, district administration authorities were informed and the police were already there. We have increased vigil in the area and will also be conducting awareness drives. ”

Meanwhile, a number of volunteers from NGOs also took part in the search and eventual rescue of the leopard. Primary probe suggested that it was the same leopard that had attacked Atole in the morning.

No details were available on the health condition of the leopard. Officials said the animal would be kept at a rescue and recuperation facility before being released into the wild.

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When asked about the possible path the leopard could have taken to travel to the area, Patil said, “Some distance behind the campus of Serum Institute, there are vast sugarcane fields. Those are areas with the possibility of presence of leopards. The forest areas of Manjari and Saswad are close by and the leopard could have travelled from there too.”

This attack comes days after a leopard sighting was reported from Mohammadwadi area near Hadapsar in the second week of October. The Forest Department had increased vigil and patrolling in the area after the leopard was seen in footage captured in security cameras of two residential societies.