Pune: An adult male leopard, who had been giving the slip to authorities to frequently roam in the Pune airport area since April, was finally captured on Friday following an intensive eight-hour operation carried out jointly by the Pune forest department, RESQ Charitable Trust, Indian Air Force (IAF), and Pune Airport Authority. IAF also joined the operation as its campus is located nearby.
The leopard sighting in the airport area was first confirmed on April 28. Since then, the animal had been evading the authorities to intermittently enter and exit the restricted area by navigating an extensive network of underground tunnels, dense vegetation, and low-traffic zones.
The presence of Indian Air Force facilities nearby and the vast, secure terrain complicated capture attempts. Forest teams set up camera traps, live-feed cameras, and multiple cages for monitoring, but the animal remained elusive and managed to avoid the traps and surveillance.
On December 4, an unexpected window opened when camera footage confirmed that the leopard had entered the underground tunnel system again. Authorities jumped at the opportunity, quickly sealing and reinforcing the exits, installing additional live surveillance cameras, and repositioning camera traps to follow the big cat’s movements within the confined space.
Using real-time inputs, a 30-member team then planned and executed the operation on December 11-12. They were able to guide the leopard into an approximately 80-foot tunnel section for a controlled chemical immobilisation.
Despite challenging underground conditions, wildlife veterinarian Dr Gourav Mangla successfully darted and tranquilised the leopard. It was then safely brought out from the tunnel and transferred to the RESQ Charitable Trust’s Transit Treatment Centre in Bavdhan for veterinary observation and recovery.
All this while, no human injuries were reported and airport operations remained unaffected. As of now, the forest department will take a call on the leopard’s long-term management in line with the established wildlife protocols.
Mahadev Mohite, deputy conservator of forests, Pune division, said: “This operation highlights exemplary inter-agency coordination and preparedness. The forest department, RESQ Charitable Trust, Indian Air Force, and airport authorities collaborated seamlessly over months.