Leopard roaming Pune Airport since April safely captured after tunnel operation
A 30-member team from the Forest Department, RESQ Trust and the Indian Air Force then worked to guide the leopard into an approximately 80-foot-long tunnel
A male leopard that had been roaming intermittently inside the Pune Airport premises since late April was safely tranquilised and captured in a coordinated operation on Friday, forest officials said.
The Forest Department led the multi-agency effort, working alongside the RESQ Charitable Trust, the Indian Air Force and Pune Airport authorities. The presence of the leopard was first confirmed on 28 April, and it was spotted again on 19 November, prompting intensified monitoring.
According to officials, the animal had been navigating an extensive network of underground service tunnels, dense vegetation and low-traffic areas within the airport, making it difficult to track and capture. Multiple attempts using trap cages, camera traps and live surveillance cameras proved unsuccessful, as the big cat consistently avoided the enclosures.
On 4 December, authorities received information that the leopard had once more entered the tunnel system. Exit points were sealed, and additional cameras were installed to monitor its movements in the confined space.
A 30-member team from the Forest Department, RESQ Trust and the Indian Air Force then worked to guide the leopard into an approximately 80-foot-long tunnel. Wildlife veterinarian Dr Gourav Mangla tranquilised the animal in what officials described as a challenging operation.
“The leopard had damaged both live cameras, and I had to take a clean shot from a very difficult angle in a confined tunnel space. The successful darting was possible only because the teams held their positions calmly and executed the plan exactly as designed,” Dr Mangla said.
The leopard has since recovered and is under observation at the Transit Treatment Centre in Bavdhan, Pune.
Mahadev Mohite, Deputy Conservator of Forests, Pune Division, said the successful capture was a result of seamless coordination between the agencies involved. No human injuries were reported, and airport operations continued without disruption throughout the operation.
With PTI inputs