A fully grown male leopard was found dead inside an abandoned building in Mumbai’s Aarey Milk Colony on Thursday morning (November 12), and wildlife conservationists and residents were alarmed. The animal was found on the ground floor of a deserted building near a forest patch near Aarey Hospital.
Workers staying near the construction site saw the leopard lying unconscious near the entrance of the building and alerted authorities. A team from Thane Forest Department’s Territorial Division rushed to the spot, but by then the animal had already died. Forest department officials have started an investigation into what exactly happened.
The workers found the large animal lying near the entrance of an abandoned building at 8 am. They did not approach the leopard as it was dangerous (sources said) and alerted RA Police Station and the forest department about it.
Wildlife conservation volunteers who have been involved in leopard protection and conservation work in Aarey Milk Colony also reached the spot after the alert. Imran Udat, Satish Lot, Raj Jadhav and Prasad Khandagale were among them. They helped coordinate the response while forest officials and other authorities assessed the situation on the ground.
The leopard was aged between four and six years old. Initial inspection reportedly showed injury marks on the body, including injuries on hind legs. Officials and wildlife experts said that the animal may have been involved in a territorial confrontation with another dominant male leopard in the area.
An initial check reportedly also found claw and injury marks on the leopard’s face, which strengthened the fight theory. Leopards are solitary and territorial animals; males confront each other when competing for territory or access to resources. Officials have not confirmed whether a territorial fight caused the death but will find out through post-mortem examination.
The dead leopard has been identified as S2025-M38 (male) and was part of the leopard population recorded in Aarey Milk Colony in 2025. Wildlife conservation volunteers had said that the leopard had been photographed at various places across Aarey near National Dairy Development Board and Unit 4; last seen by camera trap near Unit 15 of Aarey Milk Colony on September 11, 2026.
The building where its body was found belongs to the Aarey administration and is near Unit 16, close to Aarey Hospital. Though it is an abandoned structure, containers and makeshift accommodation used by contract workers are around it, putting human activity close to leopard habitat.
Range Forest Officer Santosh Dagle said that the forest department got information about the leopard from residents and the Mumbai Police Control Room. A team of forest officials, veterinary officer Dr Shailesh Pethe and local police personnel went to the spot and confirmed the death of the animal.
After preliminary inspection, the carcass of the leopard was shifted to Sanjay Gandhi National Park for post-mortem examination. Further investigation is being done by senior forest department officials (Deputy Conservator of Forest Sachin Repal and Assistant Conservator of Forest Thane Sonal Valvi). The results of post-mortem will give more clarity on injuries and how it happened that the leopard died.
The incident has once again brought to the fore the need to protect wildlife habitats in and around Aarey Milk Colony, one of Mumbai’s green lungs; it is famous for its leopard population as well as proximity to Sanjay Gandhi National Park. Wildlife researchers have said that territorial behaviour is part of leopard ecology, but sometimes animals come face to face and get seriously injured.
“Abandoned buildings, construction activity and temporary worker accommodation near forest patches make it necessary to maintain safety measures there,” they added. Residents and workers in such areas should not approach an injured or unconscious wild animal and should contact the forest department/police immediately. The authorities are investigating, and the final cause of death will be known after postmortem report comes.
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