Even as a leopard believed to have killed at least two persons was shot dead in Ahilyanagar Saturday night after it charged at a team of forest officers during an ongoing search operation, a second shoot-at-sight order was issued Sunday following one more attack on a child by a leopard. The two orders, issued within 24 hours of each other on November 15 and 16, were prompted by two fatal leopard attacks in the Yeshgaon–Takli belt of Kopargaon earlier this month.
The crisis in Ahilyanagar began with two tragic deaths in the Yeshgaon–Takli area. On November 5, three-year-old Nandini Premdas Chavan was killed in a leopard attack near the Kopargaon municipal limits. The incident triggered widespread anger, with villagers blocking the Ahilyanagar–Manmad highway and demanding immediate action from the authorities. Before the dust could settle, the same leopard struck again on November 10, killing 63-year-old Shantabai Ahilaji Nikole in Yesgaon village. The second fatality pushed tensions to a breaking point, prompting another highway blockade as residents demanded urgent safety measures.
Forest officials initially attempted a non-lethal response. Permission to trap the animal was granted on November 7, but the situation changed dramatically after the second death (Shantabai Nikole). On November 10, the principal chief conservator of forests (wildlife) authorised lethal removal, citing an imminent threat to human life — a decision that came even as Pune was dealing with its own emergency involving a conflict leopard (leopard believed to be responsible for fatalities).
Despite an extensive search operation involving cages, tranquilisers, camera traps and thermal drones, the leopard in Ahilyanagar continued to evade capture. Officials said it moved swiftly through the fields, avoided the traps, and did not stay put for long in any single location. Fear of another attack grew as villagers began staying indoors after dusk.
On the evening of November 15, residents reported that the leopard was lurking near a poultry farm behind the Takli Ashram School. A forest team, accompanied by expert sharpshooter Dr Rajeev Shinde, rushed to the spot. As they surveyed the area, the leopard suddenly charged out of the darkness and at them. Dr Shinde fired a single shot in self-defence at 9.45 pm, killing the five- to six-year-old male leopard on-the-spot. The carcass was later sent to the Baragaon Nandur nursery for a post-mortem.
Even as the leopard believed to have been responsible for the two earlier deaths was eliminated, another alarming incident triggered a second emergency order. On Friday, November 14, a leopard attacked seven-year-old Rajveer Kotkar in Khare Karjune village while he was playing in the front yard of his home. His parents managed to pull him away, but he sustained serious injuries and is currently undergoing treatment in hospital.
The attack left the village on edge. By Saturday, November 15, residents had gathered in large numbers, demanding immediate action. Responding to the tension and public pressure, the Maharashtra forest department issued a second shoot-at-sight order on November 16 for the leopard that was believed to be turning into a threat.
Confirming the developments, Dharmvir Salvithhal, deputy conservator of forests, Ahilyanagar, said, “One leopard was eliminated on Saturday at around 10pm, and we have received the second order today on November 16. The capture operation is underway and if necessary, we will implement the elimination order.”
The twin orders in Ahilyanagar, coming on the heels of Pune’s directive, underline a troubling pattern across Maharashtra’s sugarcane belt, where dense crops offer ideal cover for leopards living in close proximity to human settlements.