Frequent leopard sightings cause fear among Pernem locals

Mapusa: A series of leopard sightings across four different locations—Dhargalim, Virnoda, Paliem, and Mandrem in Pernem over the past couple of days has sparked panic among local residents.

The sightings include a rare instance where a leopard and a black panther were spotted simultaneously along the roadside in the residential area of Vaskarwada in Dhargalim.

Local resident Vilas Goltekar said, “There are four leopards in Dhargalim alone that locals have seen, including a black panther and two fully grown leopards. There have been many incidents of them attacking pet dogs. Once the pets are gone, they will surely attack humans. We urge govt and the forest department to take concrete action and relieve the locals who are living under extreme fear.”

Further sightings include a leopard on the main road in Virnoda village. In a separate incident, a leopard was captured on CCTV camera at Paliem in the front yard of the house of Ravindra Vengurlekar. Additionally, a leopard attacked a pet dog at a house at Sawantwada, Mandrem.

All of the recent leopard movements have been captured on CCTV cameras or cellphone cameras.

These sightings have necessitated action, with two leopards already being trapped in cages set by the forest department and safely rescued.