A leopard attacked a pet dog at a farmhouse in Murbad, Thane district, on Monday evening, according to a social media post by former Maharashtra Navnirman Sena legislator Pramod, known as Raju, Patil. The confrontation was captured on CCTV, and the dog, named Rocky, was later treated for injuries and reported to be safe.
Patil said the incident occurred at about 7.15 pm at his farmhouse in Murbad. According to his account, the leopard entered the property by jumping over a compound fence and attacked Rocky from behind. The dog then bit the leopard on the left cheek and chin, forcing the animal to release itself and flee towards the forest.
The CCTV footage shared with Patil’s post shows the struggle between the dog and the leopard. Patil said Rocky sustained injuries from the leopard’s claws during the encounter. Despite the injuries, the dog remained alert and continued watching the direction in which the leopard escaped, he said.
A doctor was called to the farmhouse that night to provide first aid to Rocky. Patil later stated that the dog was safe. The report does not provide details about the extent of Rocky’s injuries or whether the leopard was injured during the confrontation.
Patil said the Murbad forest department was informed promptly after the incident. He added that officials responded positively and had begun necessary measures, although the specific steps taken by the department were not detailed in the post.
The incident has also brought renewed attention to human-wildlife conflict around Murbad, where farmhouses and other settlements exist close to forested areas. In his post, Patil said that while Rocky had managed to drive the leopard away, a person, woman or child could be present at the same location during a future encounter. He questioned who would be responsible if a similar incident involved a human being.
Patil also appealed against directing anger at wildlife and said that maintaining ecological balance was necessary. He attributed the broader human-wildlife conflict to what he described as incorrect, industry-friendly development decisions supported in the name of development. Those political and policy allegations were made in his post and were not independently established in the report.
The available account does not state whether forest officials identified the leopard, installed camera traps, examined the site or issued an advisory to nearby residents. It also does not establish whether similar leopard sightings or attacks have recently been reported in the surrounding area. Further details from the Murbad forest department would be needed to clarify the animal’s movement and the preventive measures being taken.
