A male adult leopard that had been moving inside Pune Airport for months was safely darted and captured this week after a complex, multi-agency operation that relied on tunnel surveillance, camera traps and coordinated airbase support, forest officials said on Friday.
The leopard was first confirmed on April 28, resurfacing on November 19, triggering a sustained search across the airport’s sprawling and sensitive landscape. Officials said the animal had been navigating an “extensive network of underground tunnels, dense vegetation and low-footfall zones” that allowed it to slip in and out undetected.
The Forest Department led the operation alongside the RESQ Charitable Trust, the Indian Air Force and the Pune Airport authorities. For months, teams monitored the premises with live cameras, trap cages and motion-triggered devices, though the leopard repeatedly avoided entering any cage, the department said in a release.
A breakthrough came on December 4, when officials received information that the leopard had moved fully into the airport’s underground tunnel system. Teams immediately sealed tunnel exits and installed additional live-surveillance cameras to track its movement in the confined space.
A 30-member team — from the Forest Department, RESQ and the Air Force — eventually guided the animal into an 80-foot-long tunnel, where it was tranquilised by wildlife veterinarian Dr Gourav Mangla, the release said.
Officials said the leopard was captured safely and without incident.
“The leopard had damaged both live cameras, and I had to take a clean shot from a very difficult angle in a confined tunnel space. The successful darting was possible only because the teams held their positions calmly and executed the plan exactly as designed,” said Dr Mangla.
The leopard has since recovered and is currently housed at the Transit Treatment Centre at Bavdhan, Pune, for further observation and assessment.
Mahadev Mohite, Deputy Conservator of Forests, Pune Division, said coordination among the various agencies led to the capture of the big cat. Officials said no human injuries occurred during the operation and that airport operations continued without disruption.
