Pune: Residents near the Rajnigandha Society in Aundh remain on alert despite almost a week having passed since a leopard was spotted in their neighbourhood on Nov 23. Although the fear has eased somewhat, societies have still issued strict advisories, heightened CCTV monitoring and alerted pet owners to avoid early morning and late night rounds. Meanwhile, search teams have found not a single trace of the visiting predator in the previous few days. Many residents, who initially avoided stepping out on foot, on Friday told TOI that life is returning to normal, albeit with a sense of caution. Forest officials are in constant touch with society committees and have shared emergency numbers, assuring a rapid response team within minutes. Residents described the past week as unsettling but educative — it prompted many communities to coordinate better and prioritise safety. The initial panic has dissipated, but a faint sense of being rattled persists, said some. Sneha Rajole, a software developer from Krishna Kunj Society, said, “After the Sunday night news of the leopard, residents were very tense. But with no further updates from forest officials, things slowly returned to routine. My family was quite anxious as we have a pet dog and must take him out for walks. Now, we are more relaxed.” Society committees circulated messages urging members to report any suspicious movement immediately. A society manager in Aundh, who did not wish to be named, said, “We have sent instructions to all members to be cautious while moving around the premises. There are a few dense patches in our society, so we are on our toes. CCTV cameras are being monitored round the clock, and security staff have been trained to respond quickly to any situation.” Many societies have also taken extra precautions for pet owners. The chairman of another society nearby said on condition of anonymity that a meeting of pet parents was held on Monday, a day after the leopard sighting. “We advised them to be extra careful and avoid taking pets out after dark or early in the morning. Pets must be kept on a leash at all times and not allowed to roam freely,” he said. Residents also said that immediately after the sighting, many avoided stepping out on foot and preferred using cars. Sugandha Mitra, a resident of Daffodil in Aundh, said, “We were initially very scared. I usually go for a walk at 6am, but skipped it on Monday after CCTV footage was circulated on our society group. Thereafter, I resumed my walk but with more caution.” Another resident from a nearby society, Mayank Kelkar, said, “Though things look normal now, every unusual sound at night still makes people pause. The fear may have reduced, but awareness has increased.” Forest officials have been in constant touch with society committees to check for updates or sightings. Shriram Date, another resident of Aundh, said, “Forest officials shared helpline numbers and emergency contacts with us to report any information at any hour. They told us their team would reach within seven minutes of a call. We have passed this information on to our neighbours as well.” A frontline forest guard associated with the monitoring team said, “We have not received any movement signals from the area after the initial sighting, but we are patrolling continuously. Residents have been cooperative, which helps us respond faster.” Forest officials said that with no movement on any of their live cameras or camera traps recorded on Friday, their strategy and field setup would continue as planned.
