Pune: Newborn baby dies in leopard attack in Kedgaon yesterday
Pune, November 18, 2024: A three-month-old baby of a laborer family working on a sugarcane field was attacked by a leopard in Kedgaon in Daund Taluka of Pune. The laborer chased the leopard to rescue the baby, but the baby died while undergoing treatment at the hospital. This incident took place around 4 pm on November 17.
Karan Dilip Gaikwad, who works as a laborer in the sugarcane fields, from Jalgaon district, is currently staying in Kedgaon village. On Sunday, Karan and his family were working in the sugarcane field. His daughter was playing nearby while his two-and-a-half-month-old son was kept in a swing made of cloth. At around 4 pm, a leopard hiding in the field attacked the child. The boy’s sister who was playing nearby raised an alarm and the others too started shouting. Hearing the noise, the leopard dropped the baby and ran away. The boy was immediately taken to the hospital where he died while receiving treatment.
The incident has shocked the parents, especially the mother of the baby. The forest officials were immediately informed about this incident. When the team reached the spot, the inspection was carried out to collect the DNA samples and other evidence. The body was sent for a post-mortem.
The incident comes just two days after a four-year-old boy was killed by a leopard in Mandavgan Farata hamlet in Shirur tehsil of the district, which is part of the Junnar forest division.
“This tragic incident took place Sunday afternoon,” said Deepak Pawar, assistant conservator of forests, Pune forest division, who confirmed the death caused by the leopard assault. “It is proved from the evidence that the leopard assault was the cause of the death. We’re looking into this further, and we’ll follow all the normal protocols.”
“Following this occurrence, the villagers are furious, and the forest department is making an effort to get in touch with them and let them know about all the work the department is doing”, he added.
The presence of leopards in Daund has had a negative influence on residents of several villages for the last two years. The leopard assaults in Daund have resulted in a number of cattle losses and crop damage reports. In the Daund tehsil’s
Nangaon area, an old man was attacked by a leopard in August 2023, causing severe damage to his hand and face. Numerous villages, including Patas, Shirapur Raje, Galandwadi, Pargaon, Kedgaon, Dapodi, Kangaon, Rahu, and many more, reported seeing leopards and experiencing crop and animal losses. Farmers have repeatedly complained about it to the forest department.
Last month, the forest department installed 15 camera traps in the Varvand area of Daund tehsil on October 19, to track the leopard activities in Varvand.
