A four-year-old boy was killed by a leopard in Pune district. This is the eighth leopard attack resulting in human death since March this year. The boy’s head was tragically severed from his body.
The attack happened in Junnar, a place known for conflicts between leopards and people. This incident took place in Shirur tehsil, specifically in Tembhekar Vasti, near Mandavgan Farata village.
On Friday evening at 7 PM, Shivtej was playing outside his house. His family had come from Pune to celebrate Diwali. He was near a sugarcane field when a leopard, hidden nearby, attacked him.
Shivtej’s grandfather, Pandurang Tembhekar, saw the attack. He yelled for help and tried to scare the leopard away. However, the leopard dragged Shivtej about 400 meters into the field.
Hearing the cries, family members and neighbors rushed to help. The police and forest officials were quickly called to the scene and responded immediately.
In recent months, the area has seen several deadly leopard attacks. In April, an 18-month-old girl was killed in Shiroli Khurd village.
In May, an 8-year-old boy was killed while visiting relatives in Kolwadi. A 60-year-old woman also lost her life while working on her farm in Pimpri Pendhar.
In June, an 11-year-old boy was killed in Dahiwadi village. In August, a 55-year-old woman was attacked in Shirur taluka.
In September, a 9-year-old boy was killed in Tejewadi village. In October, a 40-year-old woman was killed in a soybean field near her home in Mauje Pimpri Pendhar.
Now, with the death of this young boy, the community is left in shock. The repeated attacks have raised concerns about safety in the area. Many hope for better measures to protect residents from wild animals.