First-time leopard sighting near Vasai fort leaves experts puzzled

Experts are investigating how the leopard travelled to the fort without being detected. Pics/Hanif Patel

Wildlife researchers and the forest department are astonished by a recent leopard sighting near Vasai Fort, a location considerably far from the forest and near the Vasai beach. The sighting was brought to their attention when the leopard was struck by a passing bike while crossing the road. Vasai Fort and the closest forest, Tungareshwar Wildlife Sanctuary, are about 16 km away by road. The straight line distance between the two locations is around 9 km. There are railway tracks and a densely populated area between them. It's fascinating to think about how the leopard managed to travel through this without being detected.

Hit by bike

Donald Xavier Gonsalves, 38, the eyewitness who first spotted the leopard on Friday said, "Around 8.30 or 8.40 pm on Friday, when I was riding my bike back from Vasai Fort with my wife and two children, I saw a motorbike coming from the other direction collide with a big cat-like creature. The collision caused the rider to fall. I immediately stopped my bike and went over to help the person. At first, I couldn't identify the animal, but when I looked more closely, I saw that it was a leopard that quickly vanished into the surrounding bushes." Donald made sure the individual who had fallen off the bike was shifted to the hospital right away. Afterward, he told the local Aadivasis about it, but none of them thought it was a leopard.

Nobody believed me

"Despite living in this area for over 150 years, my family and ancestors have never seen a leopard in this area, which is quite a distance from the forest patch. As a result, nobody took me seriously when I claimed to have seen a leopard. My local political friend helped me obtain the phone number of the forest department and I contacted Range Forest Officer (RFO) S R Ade Ma'am. Ade Ma'am and forest department staff reached the spot at around 10.30 pm on Friday and later we discovered the pugmark of leopards in the nearby mangrove forest patch. Two cameras were installed by staff members of the forest department and volunteers from an NGO. The camera traps were checked in the morning and it confirmed the presence of a leopard," added Donald.

The biker who fell down after colliding with the creature

Officials from the Forest Department are attempting to determine whether the leopard has sustained any injuries as a result of the collision so that they can plan a safe capture strategy and provide any necessary medical care if at all needed. Rohit Mohite from the NGO Wildlife Welfare Association (WWA) along with his team of volunteers have installed camera traps in the area along with live cameras. On the instructions of Sanjay Gandhi National Park, Chief Conservator of Forest (CCF), G Mallikarjun, a team led by researcher Nikit Surve from Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) India is also helping the forest department to locate the leopard.

Camera traps set

Madhumitha S, Deputy Conservator of Forest, Palghar said, "Camera traps have been installed in the area adjacent to the Vasai fort where the leopard was spotted and we are monitoring its activity." Since this is the first time a leopard has been sighted in the area, the forest department is spreading awareness among people about what to do and what not to do when they see a leopard. Sources from the Forest Department said the leopard was sighted in the wee hours of Sunday in one of the video cameras installed and it appears that the animal is not limping.

8.40 pm
The time around which the leopard was spotted