Efficient rescue op, team work saves day

What began as a chaotic situation ended up as a smooth rescue operation after almost 12 hours thanks to the efficient team work and mob control by wildlife activists, Mumbai police and the Forest department on Sunday.

A team from the MIDC police station reached the spot a little after 7.30 am and alerted forest officials. A member from the Mumbai Police's Quick Response Team (QRT), wildlife lover Yogendra Satam and Honorary Wildlife Warden (Mumbai city) Sunish Kunju, were also at the spot and began coordinating the situation to maintain order till the Thane rescue team arrived.

"One of the biggest challenges was ensuring that the crowd is under control. It didn't take time for around 2,500 people to gather," said Kunju.

Dr Jitendra Ramgaonkar, Deputy Conservator of Forest (DCF) along with Range Forest Officer (RFO) Santosh Kank from Thane territorial reached the site and asked the cops to ensure that the area is not only cordoned off but also maintained as a silence zone so as to not scare the leopard which was already under stress.