WATCH: Panic Grips Mumbai Society After Leopard Seen Prowling Near Boundary Wall
Mumbai News: Panic gripped a residential society in Mumbai after CCTV cameras captured a leopard roaming near the boundary wall of the housing complex. Forest officials said Sunday the big cat was spotted near the wall of the Oberoi Splendor residential society along the Jogeshwari-Vikhroli Link Road, triggering alarm among the residents society’s resident’s and others living in the area.
Earlier this week, the deadly predator was seen prowling near the boundary wall of the Oberoi Splendor in East Mumbai. The residential complex is located close to the Aarey forest. CCTV cameras installed at the Oberoi Splendor caught the big cat roaming in the area and the footage went viral on social media sites.
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Videos | Leopard spotted behind barbed boundary wall of Oberoi Splendor on JVLR in Mumbai. pic.twitter.com/IZqsSm11mU
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‘No need to panic’
Panic-ridden residents expressed their fears of living in the area whilst a predator was freely roaming in the area and urged forest department to address the issue at the earliest
“A leopard roaming next to our society is very scary and dangerous. It can lead to a conflict situation. We are coordinating with forest officials to address this issue,” a resident of the society told news agency PTI.
Officials have urged the citizens not to panic as forest department sleuths are closely monitoring the situation followed by daily night patrolling in and around that area.
“Citizens should not panic and instead, contact the 1926 toll-free helpline of the forest department in case of leopard sighting,” said an official.
Avoid dark areas, residents told
Wildlife experts have also chimed in and assured residents that mere sightings of the big cat in suburban is not a dangerous phenomenon.
Mere sightings of leopards in suburban Mumbai, especially on the periphery of SGNP (Sanjay Gandhi National Park) or Aarey is not dangerous, said Pawan Sharma, founder and president of RAWW (Resqink Association for Wildlife Welfare).
Sharma noted that that wild animals often stray towards human habitats in search of easy prey due to their natural instincts. However, the wildlife experts advised locals to keep the society well lit and avoid moving through dark areas at night because that where the predators hunt in stealth.
“Citizens should avoid entering dark areas at night. They should keep their society well lit for clear visibility. Small children and pets should be accompanied with adults, while security guards should stay in their cabins and use torches at night,” said Sharma, who is also the honorary wildlife warden with the forest department.
(With PTI inputs)