Maharashtra Village Gripped by Fear After Leopard Kills 5-Year-Old Girl

PIMPARKHED, Maharashtra – Tragedy struck Pimparkhed village in Shirur taluka, Pune district, as a five-year-old girl, Shivanya Nilesh Bombe, was killed in a leopard attack on Sunday morning. The incident, which occurred around 10 a.m., has ignited fear and anger among residents, who are demanding immediate action from the forest department to prevent further loss of life.

Shivanya was on her way to deliver water to her grandfather, Arun Devram Bombe, who was working in his field approximately 300 meters from their home. A leopard, concealed within a sugarcane field, ambushed the child, inflicting severe injuries to her neck and hand. Arun Bombe witnessed the attack and desperately tried to rescue his granddaughter, but the leopard disappeared into the dense sugarcane before he could fully intervene.

Family members rushed Shivanya to Manchar Civil Hospital, but doctors pronounced her dead upon arrival. The loss has devastated the Bombe family, who are farmers with another daughter younger than Shivanya. This is the second death in Shirur due to a leopard attack and the third in Pune district since April. In September, a six-year-old boy was killed in Chincholi village, Junnar, and in April, an 85-year-old woman was killed in Inamgaon, Shirur.

"Shivanya's grandfather, Arun, witnessed the attack. He tried to save her, but the leopard had already inflicted serious injuries before disappearing into the fields," Shivanya’s uncle, Ganesh Bombe, told reporters.

The area surrounding Pimparkhed is characterized by extensive sugarcane cultivation, providing ideal cover for leopards. Forest authorities have been aware of frequent leopard sightings in the area, and the family reported a previous attack on their dog approximately two weeks prior to this fatal incident.

In response to the rising conflict, the forest department has set up a base camp near Pimparkhed and installed three cages to capture leopards. Following the recent incident, authorities plan to install ten additional cages and deploy trap cameras in the village.

"We have set up a base camp near Pimparkhed for swift response. Additionally, three cages have been installed in the area to capture the big cats," said assistant conservator of forests Smita Rajhans.

Former Lok Sabha MP of Shirur, Shivajirao Adhalrao Patil, visited the family and called for a long-term solution to the frequent leopard attacks in the region. He suggested sterilization of leopards as a potential solution.

The Maharashtra State Human Rights Commission (MSHRC) has already addressed the human-animal conflict, issuing directives to forest departments for protection of residents. This followed disturbing videos of leopards attacking livestock and homes in nearby Pimpalwandi village.

The increasing human-wildlife conflict in Maharashtra is a growing concern. Leopard attacks have accounted for a significant number of human deaths in the state, with 99 deaths recorded in the five years leading up to March 2024. Factors contributing to this conflict include increasing animal populations, habitat loss, and human encroachment into wildlife territories.

While the forest department is taking measures to address the issue, residents are demanding more effective and immediate action to ensure their safety. The focus remains on finding a sustainable solution that protects both human lives and the region's leopard population.