Pune: Leopard Sighting Reported Near Sinhagad Fort, Residents On Alert Mode

Pune, 18th July 2023: Mordariwadi, situated near Kalyan Darwaja at the base of Sinhagad Fort, witnessed a leopard sighting on Monday evening around 6:30 to 7:00 pm. The leopard was spotted near the village before retreating back into the forest.

The village is home to approximately 500-600 residents coexisting with a leopard population. The village is located in the forested area at the foot of Sinhagad fort, and locals have occasionally spotted leopards roaming near their houses.

Anirudh Yadav, a former Panchayat Samiti member who resides in Mordariwadi, alerted the Bhamburda forest range officer, Pradeep Sapkal, and MLA Bhimrao Tapkir upon receiving the information. Yadav also shared photographs and videos of the leopard. Yadav mentioned that his wife, Shivani Yadav, and other women in the house had witnessed the leopard.

Shivani Yadav recounted the incident, stating that around 6:30 to 7:00 pm, they heard dogs barking, prompting her to look towards the forest from their house. She noticed some movement under a tree and spotted the leopard sitting about twenty or thirty feet away from their house. Despite the rain, the leopard remained calm and motionless under the tree, occasionally shaking off water droplets. At around 7 o’clock, it disappeared into the forest.