Pune: The ongoing sugar cane harvesting season has raised concerns over the safety of farm workers in the district after a leopard attacked a sugar cane cutter in Pimpalgaon village near Alandi in Khed tehsil on Tuesday morning.This is the first reported leopard attack on a sugar cane worker in the Junnar forest division, which has extensive sugar cane plantations spread across Khed, Junnar, Shirur and Ambegaon tehsils.The incident took place around 9.30am when Ambarsingh Mahadu Chavan was cutting sugar cane in a field within the limits of Golegaon gram panchayat. A female leopard, which was apparently hiding in the plantation, suddenly pounced on him, causing serious injuries to his shoulder.Chavan raised an alarm, following which other workers nearby rushed to his rescue. Their collective shouting forced the leopard to release the injured worker and retreat into the sugar cane field. Chavan was subsequently shifted to the private hospital.Following the incident, villagers and local representatives demanded immediate intervention by the forest department and sought the installation of cages to capture the leopard. Forest officials have responded by installing three more cages and trap cameras in the area to monitor the animal’s movement.Santosh Kank, range forest officer of Chakan, said, “He was attacked by a female leopard who has established her habitat with her three cubs in the locality for the last few months. The sightings have also been reported in the past but we didn’t report any attack. As a precautionary measure, we had already placed three trap cages in the locality and also increased more cages after the attack.”The attack comes at a time when sugar cane harvesting and crushing operations are gathering pace across the region. The four talukas under the Junnar forest division have significant sugar cane cultivation, bringing large numbers of migrant and local workers into agricultural fields. Many workers, particularly those engaged in harvesting, also put up temporary huts in open spaces close to sugar cane plantations in several villages.These temporary settlements and the workers’ prolonged presence near dense plantations underline the need for preventive measures and greater awareness about leopard movement.Smita Rajhans, assistant conservator of forests, said, “We have been urging sugar factories to take necessary safety and security measures of these workers because we have a large population of leopards that have habitat in sugar cane fields only. So the possibility of attack is high. We have been creating awareness among them and villagers also.”Local activist Balasaheb Chaudhary said the incident had created fear among farmers and sugar cane workers. “The attack has left farmers and sugar cane workers worried. The forest department must take concrete measures to prevent such incidents in the future,” he said.Wildlife experts and forest officials stress the importance of sensitising workers about safety precautions, particularly while entering dense sugar cane fields. Workers living in temporary shelters should be advised to avoid moving alone during early morning and late evening hours, remain alert, use adequate lighting around their huts and immediately report leopard sightings.With harvesting activity expected to continue for several weeks, the forest department needs to strengthen surveillance, conduct awareness drives in vulnerable villages and coordinate with sugar factories, farmers and labour contractors to ensure the safety of workers, said villagers.
