Big cat conflicts of Mumbai

An injured dog which survived  a leopard recently at Mulund 2014,

Dogs population is abundant in the city, also easy prey for leopards and are thus called its favorite food.  

Photo credits : Meet Shah @ RAWW

Author : Pawan Sharma @ RAWW

 Dog survives big cat attack.

A dog was attacked by a leopard at Rahul Nagar - Mulund - west. A group of boys were playing cards near a pipeline where this (in the above pic) dog too accompanied them. 

After sometime the dog started barking in an uncertain manner which alarmed the group that there was something around, soon many other dogs near the area started barking in a pattern which indicated the presence of a big cat, according to the residents with whom we interacted and who added that they rely on the dogs for such indications since years.  

After sometime the group herd the cry of the dog and spotted that a big cat pounced on the dog (in the above pic) and was trying to maul it. 

The situation had created distress in the area, on responding to this a group of residents decided to scare away the leopard and save the dog. The group was successful in scaring away the big cat and saving the dogs life.
The residents of Rahul Nagar and the adjoining padas and slums are used to leopard sightings since they live in the area. A leopard is sighted almost every day in and around the area by someone or the other and this thus indicated that the cat is a resident leopard of that area.
I have also requested some stray welfare organizations and individuals for the treatment of the survivor dog and have also discussed on making the people aware and targeting on the control of stray population around these areas and thus reduce the attraction of the big cats towards easy prey.
It also feels great see the support and motivation of some stray welfare organizations and individuals, and hope such people keep on adding here and every where.
After this I felt to extend my words and expressions about the wild cat.

A leopard  looking at the group of people opposite to it  at a defunct mill - Borivali 2013, clicked by me (Author) while attending a distress call with the forest department officials.

Over the years leopards have developed and are still developing the skills of survival in urban forests. But in return we have always tried to exploit them as much as we could. Every action in and around its habitat highly affects and influences the behavior of the leopard. This includes both permanent and temporary encroachment in the forest, but the actual concerned authorities who have the power to act are actually not worried.
I call and recall wildlife as smallest or tiniest minority in our country after understanding and witnessing its management and concern of the concerned. To focus on the island city, wildlife management is very poor from infrastructure to administration which needs to be changed as soon as possible. But we all know change is not an overnight occurrence and will take time, however indications should atleast be indicated form the managers.
About human-leopard conflict, it is not actually a human-leopard conflict because maximum human deaths happened because of human errors, majority attacks happened inside the forests and on the ones who were in the wrong place/position at the wrong time. It is actually a human-human conflict between which the leopard is stuck and striving hard for its survival.
According to me the big cats of Mumbai have become bold towards humans, where as scholars always defined it as a shy animal, there are no intentions to prove them wrong its pure expression of individual observation. The reason for me quoting them bold comes with the reference to the existing scientific study done on them in the city.
The latest census of leopards declared that there are 22 to 24 leopards living in and around SGNP (Sanjay Gandhi National Park) which I learned in 2012 through leading tabloids and broadsheets. And from then till date I came across 9 different individuals at different locations all near the human habitat in and around the periphery of the park.
I have seen leopards mating for hours, sitting/staring/walking for minutes, jumping in seconds other than the rescued or trapped ones and the best part of seeing them was that I was not in the forest illegally and they(leopards)  were not straying but visiting the city legally. The credits for this contrasting statement goes to the contrasting system within which we exist, and the complex issue will be understood by a very few.
The biggest game according to me is the word 'buffer zone' which actually does not exist between the city and the forest. There are many such issues and concerns which I will be raising from time to time on the right time. Highlighting problems is a part of the solution, but finding, executing and regulation of it from time to time is the real or actual solution.
Both humans and animals in this city are struggling for shelter and space to exist, but in this race of seeking space humans are taking on the animals and the most exploited category of the animals is wildlife. The destruction of their habitat will win mankind space for itself and may provide happiness but i ll coin such happiness as temporary happiness because nature always replies and will reply. And the time when we will understand or decode the hidden messages of nature it may mostly be too late.
Everybody likes to see wildlife on their television sets out of which maximum today are in a sorted and scripted manner, and fail maximum times in raising/projecting real issues and concerns while covering/representing the urban wildlife. And when it comes to provision of solutions very few options are provided in such manners that common people can not either understand or practice it to co-exist and are resisted from entering/participating in conservation no matter direct or indirect.
Appreciating the native wildlife of the city and spreading a word for its protection, conservation and welfare which is actually its right is the need of the hour.
Supporting and helping the likeminded individuals and organizations while they perform welfare tasks should be motivated and encouraged.

Pawan S. Sharma
Founder & President - RAWW (Resqink Association for Wildlife Welfare)