Karnataka forest dept to set up rehabilitation centres for captured leopards, tigers

With the increasing instances of man-animal conflict being reported from districts like Mysuru, Hassan and Kodagu, it has been decided that initially, the rehabilitation centres will be established in these regions, the forest department officials said.

In T Narasipur taluk of Mysuru district, people died due to four incidents of leopard attacks in last one month. (Representational image)

Listen to this article

00:00

1x 1.5x 1.8x

In the light of increase in the number of man-animal conflict incidents, the Karnataka forest department will set up multiple rehabilitation centres for leopards and tigers captured from man-animal conflict zones in the state.

Karnataka forest department officials have visited Greens Zoological Rescue and Rehabilitation Kingdom in Gujarat’s Jamnagar, Kanha National Park and Bandavgarh in Madhya Pradesh, Pench in Maharashtra, and the Transit Treatment Centre established for wildlife in Nagpur to see the feasibility of establishing the rehabilitation centres in Karnataka. The department will submit a report to the government by the end of the week.

Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) Kumar Pushkar said, “We are working on the budgetary calculation and design of the rehabilitation centres. The proposal will be submitted to the government for approval this week. These centres will house at least 200 to 250 leopards and take care of them.”

Story continues below this ad

With the increasing instances of man-animal conflict being reported from districts like Mysuru, Hassan and Kodagu, it has been decided that initially, the rehabilitation centres will be established in these regions, the forest department officials said.

“It is a long term plan but initially the centres will be established in the regions where the conflict is high. In T Narasipur taluk of Mysuru district, people died due to four incidents of leopard attacks in last one month. Presently, the leopards are trapped and released in the forest region, but this is not working. With the fragmentation of their habitat, it is important to have such centres and be prepared. Each year, we capture 100 leopards,” another forest official said.

Presently, Karnataka has two rehabilitation centres located at Koorgalli near Mysuru and Bannerghatta in Bengaluru.

Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram