Pune, Nov 6 (UNI) In view of the rising leopard attacks and growing fear among residents in Ambegaon, Shirur, and Junnar talukas of Pune district, District Collector Jitendra Dudi announced a series of urgent measures to tackle the situation on Thursday.
The administration has decided that captured leopards will not be released back into the wild but will instead be permanently relocated to safer areas.
During his visit to Pimparkhed and Jambud villages in Shirur taluka, Dudi assessed the situation and interacted with local villagers. He stated that controlling the increasing leopard population in the region has become a top priority. According to the district administration, there are now around 2,000 leopards across these three talukas, compared to only about 250 in 2017. At least 1,500 leopards will need to be relocated to bring the population under control and reduce conflicts with humans.
To facilitate the operation, a fund of Rs 1.25 crore has been sanctioned for the Forest Department. The administration will procure 700 cages, 250 tracking cameras, and additional vehicles for use in the affected areas. Orders have been given to make 200 cages available within ten days and all 700 within twenty days. The collector has also directed that purchases be made directly without a tender process in order to speed up implementation.
Officials have been instructed to ensure that captured leopards are not released again in nearby areas. The relocation process will take place in phases, with teams aiming to trap and transfer between 10 and 100 leopards each week. The district administration believes this approach will help curb the growing threat to villagers.
Farmers in the region say that the surge in the leopard population is closely linked to the widespread cultivation of adsali sugarcane, a crop that remains in fields for over eighteen months. The tall and dense sugarcane provides an ideal hiding and breeding ground for leopards, allowing them to live close to human settlements.
Over the past two years, ten people have lost their lives in leopard attacks in Jambudgaon and Pimparkhed areas. Most of the victims were sugarcane cutters or farmers attacked while working in fields or collecting fodder. The villages have since been living in constant fear, especially during the harvesting season.
To prevent further incidents, residents have been urged not to let children and elderly people venture out alone and to avoid visiting fields at night. The administration has decided to provide continuous electricity supply to agricultural feeders in the morning so that farmers do not have to work after dark. The Forest Department has also been asked to conduct workshops to improve coordination and communication with local communities.
A special team of leopard-catching experts from Chandrapur will soon arrive to assist in the relocation efforts. Each affected village will also form a local committee to help forest officials track movements and report sightings. District Collector Dudi emphasized that the leopard population must be brought under control urgently to ensure the safety of residents in these rural areas.
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