MUMBAI: Another leopard seems to have made an out-of-use factory shed in an upmarket Borivli locality
its favourite sunbathing spot. Residents of Ekta Meadows society have
been spotting the big cat often these days near the shared boundary wall
and even on the mill's terrace during the afternoon and late evening.
The housing society shares its boundary wall with the abandoned Khatau mill compound.
Used to the presence of big cats on the neighbouring terraces, some residents have started photographing the animal. Others though are riddled with fear and are ensuring that their children are not outside playing.
In May, a female leopard and its cubs had homed in on the compound, which also shares an open boundary with Sanjay Gandhi National Park. The leopard was trapped by the national park officials when residents protested. Since then, the society had witnessed a drop in leopard incursions. But now another leopard seems to have made the mill compound its home. A resident photographed the leopard on December 19 while it sat on the boundary between the mill and the society.
"The leopard frequently spotted on the mill terrace, which is at a stone's throw from the society's recreational area," said a resident. The big cat is also seen preying on buffaloes and deer that stray from the national park. Though scared, residents at times put their fears aside to photograph the animal. "It has become a safari here. People want to see it, take pictures. But we are scared as the leopard sits only about 15 ft away from where our children play," said Ashish Sawant, society secretary.
Sawant said that by dusk, children are ushered into their homes. The society pays increased electricity bills as it uses halogen lights throughout the night. Watchmen, too, are scared to undertake night duties when leopards lurk in the neighbourhood. Forest officials said these are the pitfalls of living so close to the forest. "The earlier leopards were trapped and later released into the forest. But they will stray back as the mill offers an ideal habitat with easy preys like dogs and buffaloes," said an official from the national park.
The housing society shares its boundary wall with the abandoned Khatau mill compound.
Used to the presence of big cats on the neighbouring terraces, some residents have started photographing the animal. Others though are riddled with fear and are ensuring that their children are not outside playing.
In May, a female leopard and its cubs had homed in on the compound, which also shares an open boundary with Sanjay Gandhi National Park. The leopard was trapped by the national park officials when residents protested. Since then, the society had witnessed a drop in leopard incursions. But now another leopard seems to have made the mill compound its home. A resident photographed the leopard on December 19 while it sat on the boundary between the mill and the society.
"The leopard frequently spotted on the mill terrace, which is at a stone's throw from the society's recreational area," said a resident. The big cat is also seen preying on buffaloes and deer that stray from the national park. Though scared, residents at times put their fears aside to photograph the animal. "It has become a safari here. People want to see it, take pictures. But we are scared as the leopard sits only about 15 ft away from where our children play," said Ashish Sawant, society secretary.
Sawant said that by dusk, children are ushered into their homes. The society pays increased electricity bills as it uses halogen lights throughout the night. Watchmen, too, are scared to undertake night duties when leopards lurk in the neighbourhood. Forest officials said these are the pitfalls of living so close to the forest. "The earlier leopards were trapped and later released into the forest. But they will stray back as the mill offers an ideal habitat with easy preys like dogs and buffaloes," said an official from the national park.
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