Leopard distress_report for the month of June and July 2013

On 19/6/2013 - 1:00 AM, our team got a distress call from Highland Park society in Mulund regarding leopard sightings on the compound wall of the society. We visited the spot with the officials of the Mumbai range interacted with the security guards and some residents too.

On 21/6/2013- 12:30 AM, we attended a leopard distress call regarding sightings of a baby leopard with the Mumbai range officials at New Zealand Hostel located in Aarey colony. We visited the area and interacted with the security guards and locals.

On the same day- 2:30 AM, we got a distress call from Mulund regarding leopard entering inside Lok Nisarg society and killed a dog. The video was spread like a virus all around media and many questions were raised on this specific incident. We interacted with the security and residents.

On 22/6/2013 - 4:00 AM, a distress call was made to us from Pine woods society in Mulund regarding leopard sightings near the society. We soon visited the spot and interacted with the security and the available residents.

On 24/6/2013 - 3:30 AM, there were leopard sightings inside Sardar Tara Singh garden. We visited the area and interacted with the security guards.

On 26/6/2013 - 11:30 PM, a distress call was made from Lok Nisarg society regarding frequent leopard visits in the premises of their building and insisting on the trapping of the cat. We interacted with the residents and security.

27/6/2013- 5:30 AM, a distress call was made from Teak Woods society regarding a stray dog being killed by a leopard in front of the society. We soon attended the society and interacted with the people there.

On 19/7/2013 - evening with the Yeoor Rescue Team and RFO Mr. Salgavkar we visited Swastik society located in Thane. Leopard expert Krishna Tiwari also was also present with us. The people pressurised on trapping and removing the wild cat, we all tried our best to make them understand to take precautions and rectify the human errors because of which the leopards are facing problems and thus take an initiative so as to help in co existing with them leading to better conservation and welfare of wildlife in the city.

In all our interactions with the security and residents of various societies – we performed the following tasks:

1.       Providing the emergency contact numbers of the Mumbai Range and SGNP.

2.       Informed people about the different tasks and duties performed and jurisdiction covered by both SGNP and Mumbai Range.

3.       Made people aware of the basic safety and security tips that they can follow to avoid human-leopard conflict.

4.       Informed that only trapping is not the real solution and shared our thoughts by which they can take right initiatives so as to support the wildlife by participation and interaction with the department.

Also made them aware of our role and provided with our helpline numbers too. 
The attitude of the people towards the wildlife has worsen over the years and now it is felt by the majority that the wildlife within the city is of great threat to the human lives and thus people demand to the concerned wildlife officials to relocate them as soon as they are sighted.