Pune: The fully grown male leopard that killed 13-year-old Rohan Vilas Bombe on Sunday was shot on Tuesday night by a team of shooters and forest officials in Pimparkhed village in Shirur tehsil, around 90km from Pune.Forest officials confirmed that the pugmarks of the dead leopard matched those found at the attack site. “The pugmark identification is concrete evidence that the same animal killed the teen. We have also collected samples for DNA matching,” Ashish Thakare, chief conservator of forests (Pune Circle) said, adding that the operation was executed as per protocol and Wildlife Protection Act provisions.
The leopard was killed barely 400m from the spot in the sugar cane field where Bhome was attacked. “Such animals often return to the same spot in search of prey. We confirmed its presence using a thermal drone, and our ground team from the base camp identified it. Based on this evidence, the operation was carried out,” Thakare said.Prashant Khade, deputy conservator of forests (Junnar division), said, “This is the first instance in the division’s history where a leopard was shot. We have received permissions to put down an animal in the past but never had to execute them. In this case, it became unavoidable to ensure the villagers’ safety. With the animal neutralised, the order now stands cancelled. Our focus will return to capturing and relocating leopards in the affected Shirur villages.“Officials said the operation began on Tuesday evening after officers met villagers. Smita Rajhans, assistant conservator of forests, who led the ground operation, said three teams were formed comprising forest staff and two shooters.“We first combed the area extensively with help from local volunteers to identify possible movement routes. Teams were then stationed at strategic points,” she added.Around 10pm, the team spotted the leopard on a thermal drone image. “We approached cautiously. When we were within 50m, a tranquiliser dart was fired but it grazed the animal. The leopard got alert and charged toward the shooters. Our team fired three rounds in self-defence—the first hit its neck, the second its chest, and the third pierced its spine. The animal died on the spot,” Rajhans said.The carcass was brought to the village for identification by the victim’s family and other residents. They were also shown another leopard caught on Monday night, which remained in a separate cage.The leopard’s postmortem was conducted at Manikdoh Leopard Rescue Centre in the presence of a govt veterinary officer and the carcass will be cremated.Officials said 12 leopards have been captured from Pimparkhed village and Jambut villages over the past fortnight, and around 50 trap cages remain installed across the area’s sugar cane fields. “We have permission to relocate 50 leopards to Vantara in Gujarat. Capturing and transferring them safely will be our next operation in the coming weeks,” Khade said.Pimparkhed sarpanch Narendra Dhome said the action restored some confidence among villagers.”This is a positive step. People can finally resume their routines that were disrupted for days. But this response came after three deaths. Had the forest department acted swiftly after the first, two lives could be saved. Officials must work more sensitively and understand the villagers’ situation,” he added.The forest department has deployed drones and trap cages and continuous with night patrols in the vulnerable zones of Shirur and Junnar tehsils. Authorities have appealed to villagers to remain cautious, avoid venturing into fields after dusk, and immediately report any leopard sightings.
