14-hour ordeal: Leopard trapped in drainage pipe rescued in midnight operation

Thane: In a heart-pounding 14-hour rescue mission that gripped Bhiwandi’s Janwal village—home to 500 residents and thousands of warehouse workers—a seven-year-old leopard trapped in a perilously narrow drainage pipe was finally freed on Saturday morning. The leopard’s plight, which began Friday evening, sparked a massive rescue effort involving the forest department, officials from the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP), local NGOs, and villagers.

CCTV footage unveils the big cat’s ordeal

The drama unfolded when CCTV footage from a nearby canteen revealed the big cat wandering near two warehouses. “At first, we thought it was just a stray animal,” recounted Dugesh Vishwakarma, the warehouse driver. “But a second look sent chills down my spine—it was a leopard!”

The Thane District Forest Officer (DFO), Sachin Repal, immediately dispatched a team to investigate. Range Forest Officer (RFO) Shailesh Devre, who led the high-stakes operation, said, “When we arrived and traced the pugmarks, they led us to a 50-metre-long drainage pipe. The pipe was barely 1.5 feet wide, and it soon became evident the leopard was trapped inside, unable to turn or move.”

The rescue began as a race against time, with the leopard growing increasingly agitated. Villagers and Gram Panchayat members joined forces with forest officials and volunteers from NGO PAWS, while a veterinary team from SGNP prepared for the challenging task ahead.

“It wasn’t just a rescue—it was a battle of patience, precision, and hope,” said Vinaya Jangale, a veterinary doctor with SGNP. “The pipe’s narrowness made it impossible to coax the animal out quickly. We had to strategise carefully.”

Using a cage fitted with a live hen as bait, rescuers attempted to lure the frightened feline. For over two hours, the leopard hesitated, its low growls echoing eerily through the pipe. “We could feel the tension mounting,” recalled one volunteer. “The entire village was holding its breath.”

An army of rescuers steps in

Finally, around midnight, the leopard stepped into the cage. A crane was brought in to extract it from the pipe, ending the nail-biting ordeal. Weighing approximately 7 kilograms, the leopard was immediately taken to SGNP for a medical examination. “The animal is slightly underweight but otherwise unharmed,” Jangale confirmed. “Once deemed fit, it will be released back into its natural habitat.”

The rescue highlighted the critical role of community collaboration. “This operation would not have been possible without the villagers’ unwavering support,” RFO Devre said.

Janwal village has seldom seen such drama. “We often hear stories of leopards, but seeing one trapped right here was surreal,” said a Gram Panchayat member.