For this panther who got hit by a truck and subsequently died, there are a number of animals who get hurt, either by trucks, burnt by forest fires, cut by broken glass pieces left by careless picnickers and other people, and are restored to health by the forest department and are released back to the forest.

Driving in to Thane from the Mira Bhayander side on early Friday morning, I saw this huge crowd gathered near Suraj Water Park Upon inquirirng, I was told that a panther which had been hit by a passing truck was lying in the bushes.

I started photographing and called in my friend Mr. Rajan Chougule from Bombay Times, and both of us got some good snaps. As the panther was lying under the bushes and there was a wall on one side, and no escape on the other, Rajan kept mentioning that this was dangerous as the animal could pounce at any time. No sooner than he said this animal charged. This animal missed Rajan and got to the police man's ankles.

One part of me wanted to photograph this. Another part of me was shouting at the police "Shoot, Shoot". But all of me was running in another direction. No question. A major dispute between Rajan and me was who could run faster. I won hands down. I proved that I could run faster than him though I am older than him by about 10 years.

Since this panther had come out of the bushes and was injured badly he lay down under the police jeep where we got more pictures. The forest department arrived, cordoned of the jeep and captured this panther. On checking with the forest department later I was told that the animal had died. He had been badly injured and had no scope of survival.

Had this animal not get hit so badly that it could not move much, he would have escaped back in to the Yeoor jungle and become a man-eater. There are a number of reasons why the animals become man-eaters. For instance, if a female panther has littered, then hunting becomes difficult. So then it goes for the first available piece of food. Forest fires are burning another reason, the panthers may have teeth disorders, or some defect in running or illness. All these normally create man-eaters out of otherwise peaceful wild animals, as these injuries make it difficult for these animals to procure their food normally.