Mumbai: Workshop tells Kajupada locals their area is leopard habitat too, urges for co-existence

Spotting of a leopard, and the accompanying panic, is not uncommon for Mahek Joshi (16), who lives in a highrise in the Kajupada area, adjoining the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP). On Sunday morning, she finally learned how she and other residents could try and co-exist peacefully with these big cats, often lurking around a boundary wall close to her building.

Volunteers of Mumbaikars for SGNP (MfSGNP), a group of wildlife enthusiasts and biologists, conducted a workshop for the building residents on Sunday to clear myths about leopards. The series of workshops is to be held in different societies.

The regular sightings of leopard in the last month had spread panic among the residents. It was further fuelled by the Murbad incident, where a leopard had to be shot dead after it killed two people in three days.

"We organised a workshop for residents of the La Vista building on Sunday. We explained to them that the leopard being spotted regularly was a resident of the area, who probably came looking for stray dogs, who were easy to hunt. It has been seen sitting on the boundary wall built by the forest department and there were never any reports of it injuring or charging at anyone," said Vidya Venkatesh, a naturalist and member of the MfSGNP.

She added that they explained everything to the residents — right from the behaviour of the big cats to the measures to be taken – including not walking alone after dark, taking care of children as well as lighting up the area well. The residents were also told that a leopard could not be trapped simply because it was spotted. "Research has shown that if a leopard is trapped, its area will be taken over by another leopard. So, trapping is not a solution," said Venkatesh.

Meanwhile, some residents questioned MfSGNP volunteers, stating that there could be a Murbad-like situation in their neighbourhood as well. The experts, however, denied any such possibility, stating that the Murbad incident was one-of-a- kind.

Dr Amar Hegde, a dentist who has been living in the building for the last five years, said he saw a leopard on the boundary wall just four days ago. "There was a lot of worry and misconceptions in the minds of the residents. Thanks to the workshop, they have been cleared now. We were also told about how to move away slowly and not run in panic, in case we happen to encounter a leopard on the road," he said.

Residents also raised concerns about people crowding the road to watch the leopard sitting on the wall, at times even making noise or flashing light in its eyes. "We suggested to the residents, especially those whose flats face the boundary wall, to act as watch guards. If they spot any such nuisance that could agitate the leopard and lead to an untoward incident, they should immediately alert the cops as well as the forest control room," said

Sonu Singh, a volunteer with MfSGNP further informed that they will be conducting similar workshops at a neighbouring building as well as a slum located in the area in the coming weeks.

Meanwhile, the forest staff who were a part of the SGNP's Leopard Rescue Team, told the residents that if a leopard entered a building, the residents should stay in their homes and not venture out, as it could create hassles for the rescue operation.

MfSGNP's dos and don'ts

Recognise that leopards are residents of the area and mere sightings do not translate into danger.

Be alert after dark, when leopards are active. Children should be supervised by an adult outdoors.

Play music on your mobile phone to announce your presence. Leopards avoid humans.

If a leopard is sighted, give it the right of way and allow it to leave peacefully. Any loud action or aggressive posturing may cause it to react with alarm and panic, leading to unintended consequences.

Do not crowd around the cat. Crowds invariably get excited and mob behaviour causes the animal to panic. It might harm someone in its bid to escape.

The only long-term solution to avoid leopards within a colony is to ensure that garbage is disposed off efficiently and that no feral dogs are present.