Growel’s, SGNP tie up to train people for leopard emergencies

Mumbai, June 4: Growel’s 101 and officials from the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) held a joint programme on ‘How to handle a situation where a leopard enters a human habitat’ in the premises of the mall on June 4 at 2 pm.

The programme held on the eve of World Environment Day falling had Dr. Deepak Sawant (Range Forest officer, SGNP) and Dr. Vinaya Jangale (Veterinary Officer) to educate people on the do’s and don’ts when such a situation arises. The experts highlighted the fact that it is important not to panic, stay indoors and call the police or forest department if they spot a leopard.

The talk also focused on the importance of wildlife, forestland and the issues faced by SGNP. There have been several cases of leopards straying into housing colonies and killing dogs for food for years. The recent spotting of a leopard in the premises of actor Hema Malini’s bungalow in Dindoshi made headlines.

“With so much urbanization, we have encroached into the territory of the animals. Since we are eating into their habitat, leopards come out into civilizations in search of the food,” said Dr. Deepak Sawant, Range Forest officer, from Sanjay Gandhi National Park.

Talking about the collaboration with Growel’s 101, Dr Sawant added, “We appreciate the initiative taken by Growel’s 101 to create awareness among people about the issue. Since this place is close to the SGNP we thought this could be good venue.”

Santosh Pandey, Vice-President of Growel’ 101 said, “We are happy to start this tie-up with Sanjay Gandhi National Park. This is our contribution towards saving wildlife. We hope we partner with them on more occasions in future.”

About Growel’s 101

Growel’s 101 is a themed mall that offers the best in ‘shoppertainment’. Located strategically in the western suburb of Kandivli, it has close to 71 national and international retail outlets. It has been named after Grauer & Weil (India) Ltd that was established in 1957 and is the group’s flagship venture. The mall is anchored by prominent retailers such as Mc Donald’s, Pantaloons, Big Bazaar, Cinemax and E Zone amongst others.