Did Pimparkhed Finally Get Relief? Man-Eating Leopard Shot Dead After Weeks of Fear and Protests

After three tragic deaths and intense protests, forest officials shot dead the man-eating leopard in Pimparkhed village. The operation involved sharp shooters, drones, and multiple rescue teams.

Pimparkhed (Shirur), Pune | November 5, 2025: Pimparkhed village in Shirur taluka finally heaved a sigh of relief after the man-eating leopard responsible for three deaths in the past 20 days was shot dead late Monday night. The operation, led by Pune Forest Division officials under the guidance of Conservator of Forests Ashish Thackeray, brought an end to weeks of fear, anger, and unrest in the region.

In the past three weeks, the leopard had attacked and killed three residents: five-year-old Shivanya Shailesh Bombe on October 12, 82-year-old Bhagubai Ranganath Jadhav on October 22, and 13-year-old Rohan Vilas Bombe on November 2. These incidents triggered widespread outrage in Junnar, Shirur, Ambegaon, and Khed talukas. Villagers had blocked major routes, including the Belhe–Jejuri State Highway and the Pune–Nashik Highway, demanding immediate action from forest authorities.

Tensions peaked after the death of young Rohan Bombe, when enraged villagers torched a forest department patrol vehicle and local base camp. The following day, citizens blocked the Pune–Nashik Highway for nearly 18 hours, pressing for decisive action against the predator.

Responding to the crisis, Forest Conservator Ashish Thackeray obtained special permission from the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Nagpur, to capture or eliminate the leopard. A specialized rescue team from Pune, including veterinarian Dr. Satwik Pathak and sharpshooters Dr. Prasad Dabhokar and Jubin Postwala, was deployed in the area.

The team installed camera traps and used thermal drones to track the animal. Around 10:30 pm, they located the leopard approximately 400–500 meters from the attack site. An attempt to tranquilize it failed when the animal charged at the team. One of the sharpshooters fired a single shot, killing the five-to-six-year-old male leopard instantly.

The carcass was later shown to the villagers before being taken to the Manikdoh Leopard Rescue Centre for postmortem examination.

Officials including Deputy Conservator of Forests Prashant Khade, Assistant Conservators Smita Rajhans and Amrit Shinde, and Range Forest Officer Nilkanth Gawhane coordinated the operation with support from local villagers.

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