Tranquilized Leopard Struggles on Rooftop After Injuring 7 in Nagpur Residential Area

A 3-year-old male leopard was captured on video desperately attempting to climb onto a building rooftop in Maharashtra's Nagpur city, following an incident where it injured seven residents in a densely populated neighborhood.

The wild animal entered the Shiv Nagar residential area in Pardi on Wednesday morning, triggering panic among local inhabitants as it moved through the community.

According to Ajinkya Bhatkar, Honorary Wildlife Warden, "The Forest Department received information around 7:30 am that a leopard had entered a residential house and injured several people. The Conservator of Forests and Deputy Conservator immediately directed the Range Forest Officer to dispatch our transit treatment centre team."

The rescue operation commenced at approximately 9:30 am and was successfully completed within an hour. After being tranquilized, the leopard was transported to a transit treatment center for further care.

Footage shows the leopard struggling to pull itself onto a residential rooftop, its claws scraping against the parapet as it dangled precariously before finally managing to haul itself up. Residents gathered on adjacent rooftops and balconies observed as the big cat prowled across the terraces.

All injured individuals were promptly transferred to local hospitals for medical attention.

Following the incident, Maharashtra Forest Minister Ganesh Naik confirmed that all victims were out of danger. He reassured residents, saying, "I met all 7 patients, and they are out of danger. We will strive to contain leopards within jungle areas. If any leopard accidentally enters residential zones, our forest department will alert residents. We have established systems for this purpose."

When questioned about leopard population management through sterilization programs, Naik revealed that permission has been granted on a limited scale. The department plans to evaluate the program's effectiveness over six months before requesting approval from the central government to expand these efforts.

The Forest Department has implemented innovative measures, including AI-driven sirens that activate when a leopard or even its shadow is detected. "We are also working to plant trees that support prey animals for leopards, reducing the likelihood of these predators leaving forests in search of food," Naik explained.

This incident highlights the increasing frequency of leopard encounters across Maharashtra. On November 19, another leopard was rescued from the same Nagpur area. Just a day before this incident, five people including three rescue team members were injured by a leopard in Raigad district's Nagaon beach village.

The previous week, a four-and-a-half-year-old boy was attacked while playing near his home in Pune's Nimgav area. Reports indicate the leopard grabbed the child by the neck and dragged him several meters before local residents intervened to save him.