Thane: The forest department stepped up vigilance in parts of the city abutting the forest areas following the sighting of a leopard at two different spots in the early hours of Saturday. The forest staff is investigating whether the wild cat spotted on the two different CCTV footages sourced from the locations is the same. Forest officials confirmed the 2 sightings but said there was no reason for panic.The first sighting was at Warli Pada in the Srinagar area abutting the Thane-Mulund fringes, where the leopard was seen attacking a community dog sometime after midnight. The second sighting was outside the office of the forest department at the entry gate of Yeoor opposite Upwan Lake, where another community dog was targeted by the wild cat.“It is not clear if it is the same leopard in the two instances. There are over 40-45 leopards inside the SGNP. The areas where they were spotted are part of the natural leopard territory, but we are nonetheless taking precautions. We are creating awareness among local residents and also setting up camera traps in the area, and may also consider setting up cage traps after consulting our seniors,” informed a senior forest official.It may be noted that this was the 3rd sighting within a week in the Warlipada stretch, and luckily there were no incidents of any harm to humans until now. Locals confirmed leopard spotting was a regular thing in the area, considering its proximity to the jungle.
