When leopard 'inspected' Mercedes Benz production unit at Chakan near Pune

By Rosamma Thomas*
A male leopard was found roaming the manufacturing unit of Mercedes Benz at Chakan, about 30 km from Pune in Maharashtra, on Monday morning. The Benz production facility is spread over 100 acres, and the cat was found by staff in the manufacturing unit.

Security staff at the facility contacted the state forest department, which in turn roped in staff from Wildlife SOS, an NGO that has earlier offered assistance to the state government in rescuing wildlife straying into sugarcane fields or human habitations.
The Wildlife SOS team from the Manikdoh Leopard Rescue Centre in Junnar near Pune rushed to the site. Two vets, Dr Nikhil Bangar and Dr Shubham Patil, were part of the four-member team from the NGO that helped locate the leopard and secure the area around it. The leopard was tranquilized from a safe distance and handed to the state forest department.

Kartick Satyanarayan, who founded NGO Wildlife SOS in 1998 to rescue wild animals in distress, said that with the loss of their habitats, leopards are being forced to venture into areas with human habitation. This particular leopard was estimated to be about three years old, and appeared healthy. Yogesh Mahajan, range forest officer, Chakan, said the animal was being kept under observation and would soon be released into the wild.
---
*Freelance journalist based in Kerala

Comments

Neville Cardus: The man who turned cricket writing into poetry

By Harsh Thakor* Neville Cardus was one of the most remarkable literary figures of the twentieth century. A prolific English writer and critic, he achieved distinction in two vastly different fields: cricket and classical music. Entirely self-taught, Cardus rose from humble beginnings to become both the cricket correspondent and chief music critic of The Manchester Guardian . His achievements in these contrasting disciplines earned him widespread acclaim and established him as one of the foremost critics of his generation. In February 2025, the cricketing and literary world marked the fiftieth anniversary of his death, which occurred in February 1975.

Ideological shifts and structural realities within India's left-wing insurgency

By Harsh Thakor* The Maoist insurgency in India is arguably at its weakest point since the formation of the Communist Party of India (Maoist) in 2004. Years of sustained counterinsurgency operations, leadership losses, shrinking territorial influence, declining recruitment, and growing technological advantages enjoyed by the state have significantly eroded the movement's operational capabilities.

The Dalit body on screen: Stereotypes, sacrifice, and subjugation in Hindi films

By Dr. Prem Singh* Despite centuries of reformist efforts, from Gandhi and Ambedkar to contemporary activists, the caste system remains deeply embedded in the Indian psyche. One of the primary reasons for this persistence is the religious sanction provided by Brahminical scriptures, which have shaped not only social structures but also cultural and artistic expressions.

Counterview

Search This Blog