A video allegedly showing a leopard moving through the streets of Dahanu late at night has gone viral on social media, following which the Forest Department has initiated a search operation to verify the sighting. In the meantime, NGO WCAWA is assisting the Dahanu forest division in creating awareness among residents about safety measures and reporting protocols in case of a leopard sighting.

Honorary Wildlife Warden of Palghar district, Hardik Soni, said that CCTV footage purportedly showing a leopard moving through Dahanu gaon had gone viral across several social media and WhatsApp groups in the area. “Following this, our team, along with Forest Department officials, conducted awareness sessions for local residents and urged them to immediately inform the Forest Department or us if a leopard is sighted. We have observed that sightings in this area tend to increase every winter, as the nearest forest patch is only a few kilometres away,” Soni said.