Pune: Leopard Spotted in Alandi Amid Rising Human–Wildlife Conflicts in Pune; Forest Department Urges Caution After Recent Attacks
Alandi, 17th December 2025: A leopard sighting in broad daylight has sent waves of concern through Alandi, a prominent pilgrimage town in Pune district, after a video capturing the big cat on the run went viral on social media. The footage, reportedly shot from rooftops in the Vadgaon Road area, shows the animal fleeing from residents before entering a nearby residential zone.
The incident comes on the heels of a string of recent attacks in Pune district. Just days ago, an eight-year-old boy, Rohit Kapare, was killed by a leopard in Mangrul Pargaon village, Junnar taluka, while working near farmland. In response, forest officials have reportedly sought permission to neutralize the feline involved in the fatal attack.
Authorities note that the Junnar forest division hosts over 1,000 leopards. Shrinking natural prey and encroachment into forest areas have increasingly forced these predators into human settlements, including sugarcane fields and residential pockets. Over the past two months, three people, including two children, have lost their lives to leopard attacks in the region, heightening local anxiety. Last month, forest personnel eliminated a leopard implicated in a previous fatal incident.
The forest department is closely monitoring leopard movements in Alandi and the surrounding areas. Residents have been advised to remain vigilant, avoid approaching wild animals, and exercise caution near forest edges and farmland.
The spate of incidents underscores the growing challenge of managing human–wildlife coexistence in Pune’s rural and peri-urban regions, prompting calls for more proactive measures to prevent further tragedies.
