A viral video showing a leopard hunting a stray dog outside a residential society in Mulund triggered concern among residents, following which teams from the forest department and wildlife experts visited the locality as part of a primary response, an official said on Friday.
Leopard sightings and incidents of the big cats preying on stray or community animals are not uncommon in areas located along the periphery of Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) and Aarey forests, Resqink Association for Wildlife Welfare (RAWW) founder-president Pawan Sharma said.
Close to SGNP
“The location of the incident is a stone’s throw away from SGNP. There are regular sightings of leopards and other wild animals in this area. People should not panic but remain informed and vigilant about their presence. They must follow basic dos and don’ts to avoid negative interactions,” he added.
Teams from RAWW, along with forest department officials, are monitoring the situation and ensuring necessary intervention wherever required, Sharma informed. “Residents have been advised to report any wildlife sightings, incidents or distress situations to the forest department’s 24×7 helpline number 1926,” he said.
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