Big cat spotted 3rd time in Mulund

A leopard was spotted in the vicinity of ESIS Hospital in Mulund on Monday. This is the third incident of a big cat spotting in the area in a week. Residents and patients are scared because the leopard grabbed a stray dog for its food before retreating into the dark forest.

Over 20 to 25 staffers and patients questioned by the forest officials confirmed that they had seen a big cat with black stripes and shiny yellow skin moving around in the hospital premises between 9.30 and 10 pm, following which panic struck. Soon, people ventured into the dark areas near the hospital with bamboo sticks.

The leopard is being said to have receded in the forest seeing the outbreak and crowd. The forest officials and over eight non-governmental organisations were called simultaneously after spotting the animal. Over eight vans and 30 officials from the forest department reached the spot soon after the information was dispensed.

Some people claimed to have also spotted a leopard giving birth to two cubs. “My friend and I spotted the cubs. While I was standing in the balcony I saw it with two babies. It looked as if they were just born as they were tiny and were unable to see. When I rushed downstairs it had receded from there,” said a hospital staffer. At least three more gave a similar statement.

“We got over 15 to 20 phone calls of people saying they had seen a leopard. We reached there 15 minutes after the call. We kept our search operation on till 4 am, but could not spot the leopard,” said Pawan Sharma, of NGO Association for Wildlife Welfare.

“We have kept the area under surveillance. We will conduct a meeting tomorrow to finalise our future course of action,” said K.D. Thacker, deputy conservater of Forest, Thane over the phone.