Maharashtra Forest Department had on December, 19, 2025 safely rescued the leopard after it entered into a housing society and attacked multiple people
-1770303168836_d.png "Mumbai: Leopard captured from Bhayandar society found dead weeks after its release back into wild")
The leopard (above) was fitted with a GPS satellite collar and microchip before its release into the wild. File Pic
A leopard that was earlier captured from a residential Bhayandar society in Mumbai, fitted with a radio-collar and later released into the wild, has been found dead, officials said on Thursday.
The leopard had entered Parijat Society, a residential building in Bhayandar East of Thane district in Maharashtra was released back into the wild on December 25, 2025.
Maharashtra Forest Department had on December, 19, 2025 safely rescued the leopard after it entered into a housing society and attacked multiple people.
The animal was captured by rescue teams from Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) and the Thane Forest Division.
According to sources, the carcass of the animal was discovered at Nagla inside Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP). Forest officials were alerted and immediately reached the spot.
Read more: Bhayandar wakes to terror as leopard jumps balconies, injures residents
A postmortem examination has been carried out on the leopard, and the final cause of death is yet to be confirmed. Forest department officials said further details will be known once the postmortem report is received.
Health check at SGNP
After its rescue, the leopard was taken to Sanjay Gandhi National Park, Borivali, for a medical examination. Veterinary officers confirmed that the animal was healthy and had not suffered any injuries during the rescue operation.
Maharashtra Forest Minister Ganesh Naik had also visited the site on December 20, 2025 to review the situation. He had also met injured residents at a hospital to enquire about their condition.
Following his directions, forest officials decided to monitor the leopard closely before releasing it back into the wild.
A committee formed by the Chief Wildlife Warden and Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife), Maharashtra, along with senior forest officials from the western region, reviewed the case.
After a detailed presentation by officials from SGNP, the committee decided to fit the leopard with a Satellite GPS collar and a microchip before releasing it into its natural habitat.
Leopard was released with GPS collar
The leopard was fitted with a GPS satellite collar and microchip at SGNP after completing medical checks. It was then released into its natural habitat on December 25, 2025.
The operation was carried out by teams from SGNP and the Thane Forest Division under the supervision of Anitta Patil, Conservator of Forests and Director, SGNP, and Sachin Repal, Deputy Conservator of Forests, Thane.
Read more: Leopard rescued from Bhayandar society returns to wild
Monitoring to reduce human-wildlife conflict
The GPS collar allows forest officials and a research team from an NGO to track the leopard’s movement using GPS and radio signals. This will help officials study leopard behaviour and reduce human–leopard conflict in the region.
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