The body of a full-grown male leopard was found on the ground floor of an abandoned building near a forest patch in Aarey Milk Colony on Thursday. Officials from the Thane Forest Department’s territorial division told mid-day that they were alerted by some workers staying nearby who spotted the leopard lying unconscious. A team rushed to the spot and found the animal dead. Further investigation is underway to ascertain the cause of death.

Saving the big cat

Around 8 am, workers at a construction site spotted the leopard lying near the entrance of the abandoned building. To prevent any human-wildlife conflict, they maintained a safe distance and alerted the RA police station and the forest department. Subsequently, a team of wildlife conservation volunteers — including Imran Udat, Satish Lot, Raj Jadhav, and Prasad Khandagale — who have been actively working towards leopard and wildlife conservation in Aarey Milk Colony, rushed to the spot.