Leopard Sightings Panic: Pune Forest Helpline 1926 Flooded With Calls
Pune, 3rd December 2025: Reports of leopards spotted in Aundh and near Pune International Airport have led to a sudden spike in alert calls from residents, putting the Forest Department helpline (1926) under heavy strain.
A senior official from the Pune Forest Division said the number of public alerts has multiplied rapidly. “Earlier, we would get barely 8–10 genuine calls in a week. Now, close to 40 alerts are reaching us every single day,” the official said. He added that nearly nine out of ten alerts are either incorrect sightings or AI-generated photos and videos. “Despite being false alarms, each report has to be checked on the ground — that is where the pressure lies,” the official noted.
Airport and Aundh Confirmations
The first confirmed case this week came from Pune airport authorities. On November 21, they informed the Forest Department about a leopard seen on two different occasions behind Bay No. 9 and around Taxi Link K4, on November 19. According to officials, monitoring of this animal has been ongoing for the last 15–20 days within the Lohegaon area. A trap cage and camera traps have already been installed to track its movement.
A day later, on November 22, the department received calls about leopard sightings at RBI Colony and Sindh Society in Aundh. Teams inspected the area and confirmed the animal’s movement based on pugmarks and hair samples found nearby. Back-to-back confirmations triggered concerns across the city.
Fake Sightings Flood Social Media
Rumours soon began circulating online, with unverified posts claiming the leopard was also seen in Ghorpadi, Dhayari, Bavdhan, Guruwar Peth, and at Savitribai Phule Pune University, among other places. This social media frenzy led to a dramatic rise in citizen reports.
“Since the Aundh incident, our control room has been getting around 40 calls a day about leopard movement in various parts of Pune,” said Manoj Barbole, Range Forest Officer. “We follow protocol, send our teams to examine every location, and only then confirm if a sighting is real. In most cases — almost 90 percent — people are either mistaken or sharing visuals generated using artificial intelligence,” he explained. Barbole added that additional staff had to be deployed from areas like Sinhagad Road and Paud to handle verification work.
Police Support to Curb Misinformation
Deputy Conservator of Forests (Pune) Mahadev Mohite said tracking the origin of fabricated videos and photos is proving difficult. “WhatsApp forwards are the biggest challenge. These AI-created clips get circulated so quickly that tracing the original sender becomes complicated,” he said. The Police Department has been approached to help take action against those deliberately spreading misinformation and causing panic.
Mohite urged residents to stay vigilant but remain calm. “Please do not forward any sighting message unless it has been verified by the Forest Department. Unconfirmed posts only add to confusion and fear,” he appealed, requesting citizens to follow safety guidelines, especially in areas adjoining green zones and hills.
