By Lakshmi Jyothish
After the third child was killed in a leopard attack in less than two months in Maharashtra’s Junnar forest division, the Forest Department has sought permission to eliminate the animal involved, officials said on Monday.
An eight-year-old boy from a farm labourer family was killed this early Monday morning in Mangrul Pargaon village in Junnar taluka of Pune district. The child was attacked near agricultural fields bordering forest land, an area that has seen a rise in human-leopard encounters these recent weeks.
“Based on the nature of the attack and movement patterns observed in the area, permission has been sought to eliminate the leopard involved. This decision has been taken keeping public safety in mind,” a senior Forest Department official said.
According to officials, this is the third fatal attack involving children reported from the Junnar forest division in under two months. Villages in the region lie along fragmented forest corridors, where sugarcane cultivation and human settlements overlap with leopard habitats.
“There is constant fear now. Parents are scared to send children outside, even in the morning. We have been asking for action for weeks,” said a resident of Mangrul Pargaon, adding that farm work and daily routines have been disrupted.
“Our priority is to prevent further loss of life. Camera traps have been installed, patrolling has been intensified, and efforts are on to either capture or identify the animal involved,” the Forest Department official said.
Local representatives also called for urgent intervention.
“Three deaths in such a short span cannot be treated as isolated incidents. Immediate and effective steps are needed to ensure the safety of villagers,” said the local MLA, urging coordination between forest and district authorities.
Forest officials said awareness drives are being conducted to caution residents against venturing into fields during early morning and late evening hours, and temporary restrictions have been imposed on farm activities in identified high-risk zones.
While the Forest Department has maintained that elimination is considered a last resort, the latest death has increased pressure on authorities to act swiftly.
The proposal to eliminate the leopard has been forwarded to higher authorities, even as search and capture operations continue, officials said.