CM seeks ‘state disaster’ tag for leopard crisis, proposal to shift big cat out of Schedule I

At the meeting the Chief Minister issued directions that a proposal to declare the escalating human-leopard conflict and increasing attacks on humans in the state as a state disaster be presented in the next Cabinet meeting. He has also instructed officials that a proposal be prepared to remove leopards from Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act and include them in Schedule II, officials said.

To control leopards attacking humans, cages should be installed immediately wherever required. Along with this, Fadnavis directed the departments concerned to start two rescue centres for treatment and rehabilitation of leopards in Pune district within the next two to three months. The CM also directed extensive use of drones to locate leopards roaming near villages and towns, trace and sterilise man-eating leopards, police and forest department should increase patrolling in human-leopard conflict prone areas and increase the number of rescue teams and vehicles.

Fadnavis said to curb the escalating attacks on humans, measures should be taken in a time-bound manner, both immediate and long-term. Immediate measures should include locating and capturing leopards near villages and urban areas, using drones if necessary. Funds for cages, vehicles, manpower, and other essential equipment needed to capture leopards should be made available through the District Planning Committee. As part of long-term measures, leopards should be sterilised. Land should be identified urgently and plans prepared to establish two rescue centres in Pune district to house captured man-eating leopards. The capacity of existing rescue centres should also be increased.

Since leopards are currently listed in Schedule I, there are restrictions on capturing or eliminating man-eating leopards. Therefore, a proposal should be sent to the Central Government to remove leopards from Schedule I. Permission has already been granted by the Centre for leopard sterilisation, and hence man-eating leopards should be traced and sterilised, the Chief Minister added.

Following massive public outrage over multiple deaths in incidents of human leopard conflict in Junnar forest region and in Pune district over last two years, the Union government has finally given a nod to the proposal sent by state Forest Department last year for the sterilisation of leopards in the region as a targeted birth control method. The effort will comprise the immuno-contraceptive method which uses dart administered vaccines.

Last year, as many as eight human deaths were reported and this year five more have been reported in incidents of human-leopard conflict. After the back to back incidents last year, the forest department had issued a red alert for 13 villages in a five sqkm area in Junnar taluka. People in these villages were asked not to step out before 9 am and after 5 pm. In June this year, Pune District Collector had notified over 230 villages from four talukas of Pune district — Junnar, Ambegaon, Shirur and Khed — as prone to disaster due to repeated incidents of human leopard conflicts in which multiple deaths and several serious injuries were reported.