Jungle cat on Vetal tekdi, stresses eco value of city hills

Pune: The presence of a jungle cat has been documented using camera traps on Vetal tekdi, underscoring the ecological value of the city's hill ecosystems that are under increasing development pressure.A small team of wildlife enthusiasts and researchers led the wildlife-monitoring initiative. It involved deploying night-vision trail cameras across the Vetal tekdi complex and adjoining ridges. The aim was to record elusive fauna that go unnoticed in urban landscapes. The effort gained momentum after a jungle cat (Felis chaus) was captured on a camera trap in April 2025. The findings were later documented as a short scientific note in Zoo's Print Journal, bringing attention to the presence of small carnivores within Pune's urban green spaces.City-based wildlife biologist Arnav Gandhe said, "Subsequent monitoring over several months, along with additional photographic records and direct sightings, suggested that the species is not merely passing through. It may be using the area as a habitat. We also reported sighting a juvenile, indicating possible breeding activity on the hills."Researchers involved in the initiative said the observations highlighted the importance of conserving hill ecosystems such as Vetal tekdi, which function as biodiversity pockets within a rapidly expanding city. "These landscapes, dominated by grassland and scrub vegetation, are increasingly under stress due to land-use changes and infrastructure activity," said Gandhe.The team also included ecologist Arjit Jere and wildlife enthusiasts Rohit Khare and Ketan Bhave. They conducted a land-use and land-cover assessment over the past decade, indicating a decline in native habitats and increasing human disturbance in parts of the hill complex, particularly along the Chandni Chowk side.Urban ecologists had previously observed that protected green spaces such as Sanjay Gandhi National Park in Mumbai and Jhalana Leopard Safari Park in Jaipur demonstrate how wildlife can persist within city limits when habitats are safeguarded. With Pune's hills lacking similar legal protection, conservationists said the latest observations add to the growing body of evidence that these areas warrant closer ecological assessment and careful planning to balance development and biodiversity.
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