Forest department teams used thermal drones, but found no sign of the wild animal The search for the leopard spotted near Lakshathirtha continued on Tuesday night and resumed on Wednesday morning.
The leopard’s presence has not been confirmed, but the forest department remains on alert,” he said, adding that the residents should report any wild animal sighting to the department’s helpline, 1926. Because of the fear,” Prajakta Surve, a resident of Lakshatirth Vasahat, said, i haven’t sent my children to school for the last two days. Women in the area said houses in at least two to three streets near the reported sighting have remained largely closed since Monday night. You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Kolhapur | Silver Rate in Kolhapur | Bank Holidays in Kolhapur | Public Holidays in Kolhapur Stay updated with the latest Kolhapur news.
The forest department has deployed thermal drones to scan the area, but officials said no evidence of the animal had been found so far. The forest officials said the large number of stray dogs roaming the fields had complicated thermal drone surveillance operations at night. They, however, said the dogs’ continued presence was also an indication that a leopard might not be in the area. “If there are so many dogs moving freely in the fields, it is a strong sign that the leopard is not here,” a forest department official said.
Amid fear, many residents have, however, chosen to stay indoors, keeping doors and windows shut. “I live with my two children and haven’t dared to keep the doors open. I check the surroundings twice before stepping out to collect milk, laundry or other essentials. Devendra Bhosale, honorary wildlife warden for Kolhapur, urged the residents not to fall for misinformation. “The photos and videos being circulated on social media are AI-generated. People should not believe rumours or fake images. Crocodile spotted in Panchganga Adding to wildlife concerns in the city, a crocodile was spotted in Panchganga river near Rajaram Barrage in the Kasba Bawda area. A forest department team has been deployed at the site to monitor the situation. Download the TOI App.
Kolhapur : Lakshatirth Vasahat residents remained on edge as AI-generated leopard images and videos continued circulating on social media, even as the search for a leopard reportedly spotted near the locality on Monday night stretched into Tuesday night and Wednesday morning.