Big cat guided into tunnel; tranquilised in dark, crammed space
The team involved in the rescue
A male adult leopard that had been roaming inside the highly sensitive Pune Airport premises for nearly eight months was tranquilised and captured on Thursday. The rescue involved a 30-member joint team from the Pune Forest Department, RESQ Charitable Trust, the Indian Air Force, and Pune Airport Authorities.
The leopard’s presence was first confirmed on April 28. Since then, officials tracked its movement across underground service tunnels, dense vegetation patches, and low-footfall areas within the airport — terrains that made locating and capturing the big cat extremely difficult. On December 4, monitoring teams confirmed that the leopard had entered the airport’s underground tunnel network. ILLUSTRATIONS/UDAY MOHITE
Officials confirmed that no injuries occurred during the operation, and airport functioning remained uninterrupted. The Pune Forest Department will now decide on the leopard’s long-term management as per protocol.
Authorities sealed most tunnel exit points, strengthened barriers and repositioned cameras to map its movement in real time. A strategic final capture plan was put into action on Thursday, and the team guided the leopard into tunnel — a controlled space chemical immobilisation
Despite deploying camera traps, live surveillance systems and trap cages, the leopard had been evading capture and continued to navigate restricted zones since its presence was first reported on April 28 this year.
Inside the cramped, low-visibility 80-foot-long tunnel, wildlife veterinarian Dr Gourav Mangla successfully darted the animal. Dr Mangla asserted that success was possible only because every team member stayed calm and followed the plan exactly
Voices
Dr Gourav Mangla, wildlife veterinarian who darted elusive leopard
‘The operation demanded precision, patience and quick reassessment. The leopard had damaged two live cameras. I had to take a clean shot from a very difficult angle inside a confined tunnel’
The leopard was extracted and transported to the Transit Treatment Centre in Bavdhan, where it is recovering well and remains under supervision. The capture underscores the importance of planned, evidence-based wildlife operations in complex urban ecosystems
Mahadev Mohite, deputy conservator of forests, Pune Division
‘This operation demonstrates strong preparedness and seamless cooperation between the Forest Department, RESQ, the Air Force, and airport authorities. Pune has shown it is capable of handling complex wildlife situations even in highly sensitive urban infrastructure.’
Neha Panchamiya, founder-president, RESQ
‘Every wildlife capture is different. Decisions must be driven by strategy and context, not urgency. This rescue proves that data, technology and teamwork can ensure both human safety and wildlife welfare.’
Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
