PIMPRI CHINCHWAD : The forest department installed a cage at Netwad Malwadi in Junnar taluka to capture a female leopard that attacked a woman pillion rider around 10pm on Saturday.“Surekha Bankar (50) sustained injuries in the attack. Her son was riding the motorcycle and she was sitting behind with her husband when the leopard suddenly pounced at them. Since Surekha was sitting in the end, the leopard’s claw scratched her near her right knee,” the round officer of Ottur, Pune division of the forest department, Vishal Adhagale said.The incident happened along the canal in Phulsundar mala, near the road going from Ganpati phata on Junnar-Ottur road to Netwad Malwadi village. The area has sugar cane fields and dense tree cover.“We first rushed her to the primary health centre (PHC) in Ottur for primary treatment. She was then taken to Yashwantrao Chavan Memorial hospital in Pimpri for vaccination. We visited the spot with locals and found pugmarks of a leopard and her cub,” Adhagale added.The victim and her family are residents of Netwad Malwadi village. They were returning after meeting their relatives, when the incident happened. “There is a deep wound below her knee cap. However, if the wound was deeper, her knee cap could have been severely affected. She will be taken to a private hospital tomorrow,” the victim’s son, Vishal Bankar (25), said.“Vishal showed presence of mind and sped away. All three of them could have been injured if Vishal had lost control of the bike on the muddy road,” round officer of Narayangaon in Junnar range Meenakshi Kale said.

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