Forest department increases vigilance after fresh leopard sighting near Thane-Mulund fringes

Thane: The forest department has stepped up vigilance in parts of the city abutting forest areas following a fresh leopard sighting reported on Friday at Warli Pada in the Srinagar area near the Thane–Mulund fringes.The latest sighting, the second in recent days from areas close to the forest, has prompted officials to intensify monitoring to prevent the animal from possibly straying into densely populated neighbourhoods. Forest officials said the location lies along a natural leopard corridor, though sightings within residential pockets remain rare."We are installing trap cameras in nearby forest areas and have alerted residents to report any sighting immediately," said Mayur Survase, Range Forest Officer (RFO), Sanjay Gandhi National Park, Thane.Despite installing cameras at the Pokhran 2 site, the leopard so far evaded detection. RFO Narendra Muthe said high-sensitivity cameras capable of capturing even minimal movement were deployed. "We also conducted manual combing of a 60-acre under-construction project site and used drone surveillance, but the animal was not spotted," he saidLocal activists have called for heightened caution, citing increased public movement due to New Year celebrations and ongoing political campaigning. Forest officials, however, urged calm, stating that teams are conducting regular patrols and awareness programmes, and residents have been advised to immediately inform authorities of any sightings.