Pune: Shoot-at-Sight Order Issued for Leopard Behind Shirur Attacks
Reported by Mubarak Ansari
Shirur, 3rd November 2025: The Forest Department has issued a shoot-at-sight order for the leopard responsible for a series of deadly attacks in the Shirur taluka of Pune district. The directive follows the killing of 13-year-old Rohan Vilas Bombe at Mauje Pimparkhed (Ambewadi) on Sunday — the third fatal attack in just 15 days.
According to forest department officials, the attack took place around 4:45 pm when the leopard suddenly pounced on the boy and dragged him into a nearby sugarcane field, where his body was later found.
Following the incident, the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests has issued a shoot-at-sight order for the leopard involved. A team of sharpshooters has been called to the area and is expected to begin operations on Monday.
Currently, 25 cages and 10 trap cameras have been deployed in the region. The forest department is also using drones for surveillance and conducting awareness campaigns among villagers. The operation is being carried out under the guidance of Forest Conservator Ashish Thackeray and Deputy Conservator of Forests (Junnar Division) Prashant Khade, with Assistant Conservators of Forests Smita Rajhans and Amrit Shinde, and Range Forest Officer Nilakant Gavhane supervising field efforts.
This is the third fatal leopard attack in the area in just 15 days. Earlier, a five-and-a-half-year-old girl, Shivanya Shailesh Bombe, and an elderly woman were killed in separate incidents in the Jambut and Pimparkhed areas. The repeated attacks have triggered fear and outrage among residents.
In protest, angry villagers torched a forest department patrol vehicle on Sunday evening, accusing officials of negligence and delayed response. Police and forest personnel have since been deployed to maintain law and order in the area.
Range Forest Officer Gavhane said that 35 cages have been installed across Pimparkhed and Jambut, and nine leopards have been trapped so far. “Teams are conducting night patrols and spreading awareness in vulnerable areas,” he added.
Over the past few years, more than 12 people have died in leopard attacks in Shirur taluka, underscoring the urgent need for a long-term strategy to manage human-wildlife conflict in the region.
