Leopard kills woman in Baglan, captured after 12-hour operation

NASHIK: A 35-year-old woman was mauled to death and partially eaten by a leopard in Baglan taluka early on Tuesday morning. By nightfall the same day, forest officials tracked down, tranquillised and captured the animal suspected to be behind the attack after an intensive 12-hour search operation.The woman was attacked in the early hours of Tuesday when she was going towards a farm. The leopard pounced on her, dragged her towards a nearby nullah and fatally injured her throat and neck. Forest officials said the animal had partially fed on the body.The woman’s husband found the body during a search later in the morning and alerted authorities.The incident sparked panic in the village, where residents had reported repeated leopard sightings over the past few days. Villagers had also complained of attacks on domestic animals. The forest department had earlier installed three cages in the area to trap the animal.Following the fatal attack, forest officials launched a massive search operation. Eight cages and five trap cameras were deployed around the village, while a thermal drone was used to track the leopard’s movement.Officials said the operation began around 10 am as teams anticipated the animal would return to the spot where the attack took place. Surveillance continued through the day and into the night.After nearly 12 hours of tracking, the rescue team detected the leopard around 10 pm. The animal was darted, tranquillised and safely caged.“The captured animal is a male leopard, around two-and-a-half years old. Based on the evidence gathered and the territorial behaviour of leopards, we believe this is the animal involved in the attack,” a forest official said.The big cat was later shifted to the Transit Treatment Centre for wild animals at Mhasrul on the outskirts of Nashik for medical examination and further procedures.Forest officials have urged residents of forest-fringe villages to avoid venturing out alone during the night and early morning hours and to immediately report leopard sightings.ENDYou Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Nashik | Silver Rate in Nashik | Bank Holidays in Nashik | Public Holidays in Nashik | Petrol Price in Nashik | Diesel Price in Nashik | CNG Price in Nashik | LPG Price in NashikStay updated with the latest Nashik news. Download the TOI App.