Leopard movement reported in Palghar villages; forest office issues alert

Leopard movement has been reported in Mathane, Edvan, Usarni and Ghatim in Palghar taluka. In view of this, the Saphale forest range office has asked residents to stay alert. The forest department has appealed to people to take special care of the safety of children, senior citizens and livestock.

Under the guidance of Range Forest Officer Rita Vaidya, field staff of the forest department ran an awareness campaign in the villages concerned. The department's rescue team spoke to villagers and advised them on the precautions to take to stay safe from leopards.

The forest department has also issued some instructions. Small children should not be left alone outside the house or in the courtyard. After dark, children should not go to play in deserted places, in bushes and thickets, or near farmland. Senior citizens should avoid going alone to deserted areas at night and in the early morning, the department said. People should as far as possible not step out of the house alone at night. They have also been told to keep the area around the house, the courtyard and the cattle shed well lit.

To protect livestock in the villages, cows, bullocks, goats and other animals should be kept at night in a safe, enclosed shed rather than tied in the open. The department has also appealed for adequate lighting around the shed.

While looking after their own and their families' safety, residents should ensure that no harm comes to the wild animal. The Saphale forest range office has said that, given the leopard's presence, people should not believe rumours and should follow the forest department's instructions.

If a leopard is seen in the area, people should not panic but remain alert. They should not try to catch the leopard or drive it away on their own. People have been asked to call the Maharashtra Forest Department's toll-free helpline, 1926, immediately if a leopard is spotted.