One of the famous ghats among Punekars for long drives is in the news again for leopard spotting. A video of a leopard crossing the road as two-wheeler riders pass by has gone viral on social media, creating panic among travelers.
Dive Ghat is located near Hadapsar, and as you go towards Saswad, you will reach Dive Ghat. In the morning, the leopard came down from the hill, crossed the road, and then disappeared into the trees. Earlier, it was spotted by the residents of Wadki, but there was no video or photo. Now that the video has surfaced, the villagers have asked travelers to take precautions. Even on Saturday, two riders had a narrow escape as it crossed the road.
Earlier, in September 2023, a leopard was spotted near the same spot on the road. The Forest Department has increased vigilance and patrolling in the area after the leopard was seen in the footage captured. The Saswad area is prone to leopard attacks and sightings.
This comes days after the Junnar Forest Department, District Collector, and Chairman of the District Disaster Management Authority, Dr. Suhas Diwase, declared 233 sensitive villages in Junnar, Ambegaon, Shirur, and Khed talukas as 'Potential Leopard Conflict Zones' under sections of the Disaster Management Act, 2005.
The decision came against the backdrop of increasing incidents of human injuries and deaths due to leopard attacks in the past five years.
