Man-Eater Leopard Eliminated in Pune District After Fatal Attacks: Human-Wildlife Conflict Management Challenges

The operation was carried out on Tuesday night (Representational)

Pune:

A "man-eater" leopard that had been terrorizing Shirur tehsil in Pune district, where human-animal conflicts have been reported over the past month, has been shot by sharpshooters, forest officials confirmed on Wednesday.

The operation took place Tuesday night when the team located the elusive feline through pugmarks near Pimparkhed village and attempted to tranquilize it.

In the previous month, two minors and an elderly person were killed in leopard attacks in the Mauje Pimparkhed area of Shirur tehsil, triggering protests across Junnar, Shirur, Ambegaon, and Khed talukas demanding action.

Following the death of a 13-year-old boy in a leopard attack near Pimparkhed village on Sunday, angry locals set fire to a forest department vehicle. The forest authorities subsequently ordered the capture and "elimination" of the animal.

"The leopard was detected 400 to 500 metres from the attack site on Tuesday night. The sharpshooters attempted to use a tranquilizing dart, but it proved ineffective. When the leopard became aggressive and approached the team, the shooters fired at approximately 10:30 pm, resulting in the animal's death. The leopard was estimated to be between 5 and 6 years old," explained an official from the Junnar forest division.

The carcass was displayed to villagers before being transferred to the Manikdoh Rescue Centre for postmortem examination, the official added.

The official further noted that two leopards had been captured near Pimparkhed and Jambut villages, which are approximately 8 km apart, on Tuesday and Wednesday. One person had been killed in a leopard attack in Jambut last month.

According to the Wildlife Institute of India, the Junnar forest division in Pune district has a density of 6 to 7 leopards per 100 square kilometers.

The plentiful water resources, expanding human population engaged in agriculture, and increasing numbers of domestic animals have created favorable conditions for leopards to thrive in these farmlands.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis stated on Tuesday that the state government has raised concerns about the increase in leopard attacks with the Centre and is exploring sterilization and relocation measures to control their population in Pune and surrounding districts.

He mentioned that there are approximately 1,300 leopards in Pune and Ahilyanagar districts.

Meanwhile, an environmental activist from Thane has advocated for implementing a science-based, humane approach to managing human-wildlife conflict.

"Protecting human lives is crucial. However, the solution involves fixing the landscape, not eliminating wildlife," stated B N Kumar, director of NatConnect Foundation, who has requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi's intervention.