Maharashtra's Bold Move to Tackle Rising Leopard Attacks

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has approached the Centre to address the surge in leopard attacks in Pune. The state is exploring sterilisation and relocation strategies, with discussions of transferring some leopards to rescue centers. Concerns remain among locals regarding the effectiveness of these measures.

In a decisive step to curb the increasing leopard attacks in Maharashtra's Pune district, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced plans to coordinate with the Central Government on effective control measures, including sterilisation and relocation.

During a meeting at Mantralaya, attended by senior officials and former home minister Dilip Walse Patil, strategies such as shifting leopards from Shirur and other tehsils to rescue centres were discussed. The region has witnessed fatalities, and with approximately 1,300 leopards inhabiting Pune and Ahilyanagar, urgent intervention is needed.

The state government, led by Forest Minister Ganesh Naik, is considering relocating leopards to Vantara in Gujarat's Jamnagar and other states. While these plans are underway, local villagers remain skeptical, voicing concerns over the actual execution and transparency of the proposed relocations.

(With inputs from agencies.)