Pune: School Boy Killed in Leopard Attack in Shirur Taluka Village
Shirur, 22nd June 2024: An 11-year-old boy, Yash Suresh Gaikwad, was killed in a leopard attack in Dahiwadi village in the Shirur taluka of Pune district, Maharashtra. The incident has cast a pall of mourning over the community.
Yash, a fifth-grade student, resided with his family in the Devmala area of Dahiwadi village. On Saturday morning, he went to the sugarcane field behind his house to answer nature’s call. When he did not return home after a considerable time, his worried family began searching for him. Yash’s lifeless body was eventually discovered in the sugarcane field, revealing he had been attacked by a leopard.
The news of the attack caused widespread distress in the village. The incident was promptly reported to the forest department. Dahiwadi village and its surroundings have seen a rise in leopard sightings over the past few months, attributed to the area’s thick bushes and sugarcane fields.
Forest Range Officer Pratap Jagtap arrived at the spot following the report of the attack. Authorities have installed six cages and trap cameras in an effort to capture the leopards. Drone cameras will also be deployed to monitor the area. Additionally, efforts to track the leopard by taking its footprints have commenced. Jagtap mentioned that the exact circumstances of Yash’s death will be determined through a post-mortem report.
The villagers have reported an increase in leopard attacks in the Shirur taluka, with three fatalities in recent days. The escalating leopard presence has instilled fear among the residents. In response, public awareness campaigns are being conducted in Shirur taluka to educate and inform the community about safety measures.
