Wildlife capture and vet experts from South Africa train forest officials amid escalated human-leopard conflict

On December 5, a technical interaction session with wildlife capture and veterinary experts from South Africa was held in Pune. The session was organised by forest department in collaboration with Resq Charitable Trust. The session was attended by over 40 officers of Sahyadri Tiger Reserve, Junnar, Pune and Solapur forest divisions, who are actively engaged in managing forest boundaries, challenging human-wildlife situations and various conflict landscapes.

The expert speakers invited were Hein Schoeman, a wildlife capture and operations specialist and Dr Josephine Skaarup Petersson, a wildlife veterinarian, from Legacy Wildlife Foundation and VetX, South Africa. The two experts shared global perspectives on contemporary wildlife management, conflict mitigation, population management and capture techniques.

The discussions focused on practical field applications, boundary management, welfare safeguards and ecosystem-level management approaches. The session was marked by high levels of engagement, in-depth technical discussions and active participation from officers, reflecting the growing emphasis on science-led and professionally driven wildlife management practices.

Ashish Thakare, Conservator of Forests, Pune Circle, said, “South African systems, species and histories differ in many ways from ours. Yet there are several principles, strategies and operational insights that serve as useful guides. Mr Hein and Dr Josephine shared practical experiences and global perspectives that were relatable to our work here in Maharashtra. This interaction formed part of an ongoing effort to strengthen capacity building and knowledge exchange for forest department personnel dealing with complex human-wildlife conflict and conservation challenges in our region.”

Tuhin Satarkar, Director-Wildlife Operations, Resq Charitable Trust, said, “Knowledge exchange broadens perspectives and gives us the kind of exposure that strengthens decision-making and actions on the ground. These interactions allow us to build connections and relationships that can help address real-world problems, regardless of differences in geography, ecosystems or policy frameworks. We are grateful to Maharashtra Forest Department, who are always ready to collaborate on progressive initiatives related to wildlife management and focus on capacity building proactively.”

In the two villages Pimparkhed and Jambut of Shirur taluka. three tragic deaths occurred due to leopard attacks between October 12 and November 1. Shivanya Bombe (5) on October 12, Bhagubai Jadhav (70) on October 22 and Rohan Bombe (13) on November 1 lost their lives. These incidents triggered massive public outrage. In protest against the increasing leopard attacks in Junnar, Shirur, Ambegaon and Khed talukas, villagers staged agitations blocking the Belhe–Jejuri Road on October 12 and 22 and the Pune Nashik Highway at Manchar on November 3. On November 2, following the death of a 13-year-old Rohan, an angry mob set fire to a Forest Department patrol vehicle and the local base camp building, resulting in significant damages.