Leopard spotted at Bori Budruk in Junnar; villagers demand forest department to set up cages

Junnar : A leapord was spotted near the house of Suresh Hanumanta Korde, a resident of Korde Mal in Bori Budruk in Junnar Taluka, around 6 pm yesterday. The leopard had fled the scene after Korde set off firecrackers, but today the leopard came and sat in the same place again. The villagers are spotting leopard on daily basis and this is creating fear amongst the villagers.

Earlier, Baburao Korde, a farmer living in the Korde mal, was attacked and killed by a leopard. Also, Tushar Hadwale, a young man living in Gatkal Mal in Rajuri village, was filling wheat in his field when suddenly a leopard came in front of him and Tushar fled from there. Fortunately, the leopard did not attack him, so he escaped.

Meanwhile, Alephata, Bori, Malwadi, Salwadi, Jadhavwadi, Rajuri in the eastern part of Junnar taluka are leopard prone areas and these villages have large farming of sugarcane. These animals are beginning to enter human settlements as sugarcane harvesting is currently underway in the area.

The leopards are seen roaming around for food since they are not getting their own. In the last eight days, leopards have attacked and killed four to five animals and dogs in the area. Since there is a threat to life due to the presence of wild animals, farmers from Junnar are demanding the forest department to set cages in places where leopards are prevalent.