Pune: The search for leopards spotted in the airport and Aundh continued on Wednesday, while the forest department authorities reported no visual confirmation of their presence throughout the day.Teams on the ground are maintaining caution and persistence, hoping to trace the elusive big cat(s). According to the Pune forest division, the surveillance strategy implemented in the airport area on Tuesday remained unchanged on Wednesday because no sign of the leopard was captured in trap cameras or reported through movement indicators. A total of eight trap cameras and three trap cages have been deployed around sensitive zones near the airport.Field staff and trackers have been patrolling the area round-the-clock, scanning vegetation patches, boundary walls and possible shelters where the animal may be hiding or moving undetected. Mangesh Tate, deputy conservator of forests, Pune division, confirmed that the monitoring pattern adopted on Tuesday would continue, given the absence of conclusive evidence of the animal’s movement.“There has been no fresh indication from the cameras or cages so far. Our operational layout remains constant with eight traps and three cages active on the ground,” he said.In Aundh, a joint effort of the forest department and wildlife rescue organisation, RESQ, is under way to track down the animal. Teams have been patrolling residential pockets, checking CCTV footage and engaging with residents for leads. There has been no confirmed sighting — visual or photographic — since early Sunday morning despite widespread efforts.“From 4am on Sunday till now, we have not received any proof-based sighting. The absence of evidence demands vigilance, not panic. We are covering all possible zones. Our teams are fully active though the leopard remains untraced,” said a member of the tracking team. Authorities have appealed to residents, particularly in Aundh and areas adjoining the Air Force Station in Lohegaon, to remain alert and avoid venturing into isolated spots after dark. Residents have been advised to secure pets, refrain from disturbing dense shrubs and report any movement instantly to the forest control room.
