Wild life: Leopard attacks morning walkers in Pune
Mumbai: A leopard attacked and injured a 50-year-old morning walker on Tuesday morning near the premises of vaccine manufacturer Serum Institute of India (SII) at Hadapsar, Pune.
The incident took place around 5:30 am when two friends, Sambhaji Baban Atole and Amol Londhe, were walking near the Gosavi Vasti.
The big cat sprang over Londhe, who ducked. But the leopard scratched Atole’s leg. When the duo cried for help and a crowd gathered, the leopard fled. The incident frightened the local people.
Atole was taken to a hospital where his condition was said to be out of danger.
Police and forest officials launched a search operation to trap the leopard.
Deputy Conservator of Forests Rahul Patil said the leopard was probably hiding under a green cover.
Forest officials said this incident came days after they sighted a leopard in the Mohammadwadi area near Hadapsar this month. The forest department also increased patrolling in the area after residential security cameras captured a leopard in Mohammadwadi.
A 60-year-old woman had died because of a leopard attack near Junnar, Pune, in September 2021.
(Avya Mathur)
