In a tragic incident in Shirur, Maharashtra’s Pune, a leopard snatched a five-year-old girl from a cattle shed where she was sleeping with her parents. The girl, identified as Bhagyashree Sandeep Ware, was taken to a nearby sugarcane field by the leopard and later found dead. The parents, who are laborers in the sugarcane field, tried to rescue their child but were unsuccessful.
The Forest Department was alerted about the incident promptly, and a search operation was initiated. The child’s body was discovered in the sugarcane field, and after a post-mortem examination, her last rites were performed. Authorities, including Assistant Conservator of Forests Smita Kulkarni and other officials, visited the site to investigate the incident and complete legal procedures.
Efforts to capture the leopard are ongoing, with special teams deployed, cages set up at various locations, camera traps installed, and drones used for surveillance. Despite these measures, the leopard remains at large. The Forest Department has advised residents to avoid going out alone at night, keep a close watch on young children, and report any leopard sightings to forest officials.
