Forest minister promises jobs for families of leopard attack victims in Junnar

Pune: State forest minister Ganesh Naik said on Wednesday that families of victims killed in last three leopard attacks in Junnar would be offered jobs in the forest department.

The assurance came during his visit to Pimparkhed village, a region grappling with a surge in human-wildlife conflict.

Naik met members of three bereaved families who recently lost their loved ones to leopard attacks since Oct 12. Accompanied by senior forest officials, he offered condolences and engaged with villagers.


"It is our duty to look after the families of victims who have lost their lives in leopard attacks," Naik said. "As a responsible govt, we will provide the family members of the deceased jobs in the forest department. Necessary steps will be taken in this regard in future."

The Junnar forest division, known for frequent leopard sightings, has seen a rise in such incidents this year.

In a span of just three weeks, three people had died in leopard attacks — Shivanya Bombe (5) on Oct 12; Bhagubai Jadhav (70) on Oct 22; and Rohan Bombe (13) on Nov 2.

Naik also declared a more aggressive stance against aggressive leopards, stating, "We will not hesitate to shoot man-eater leopards in the future. If we don't take short and long-term measures now, leopards will be visible like stray dogs."

The minister's visit follows a series of leopard attacks that have claimed three lives in Junnar, leading to widespread fear and anger among residents. A four-member delegation from Vantara is currently in the area, planning to relocate at least 10 leopards to their facility soon.

"We are ready to shift leopards to other states and even if needed we can shift them to African nations also. So, efforts on this front are on," Naik added, instructing forest officials not to relax their efforts despite a recent reduction in attacks. "We must be always on our toes and at the service of the people. We should not see any other fatal incidents in the division."

Naresh Dhome, the sarpanch of Pimparkhed, welcomed the minister's assurance but emphasised the need for its fulfillment. "This announcement brings relief to the affected families, but our concern is that the govt must fulfil this promise. It should not remain just a hollow assurance made to console grieving families or pacify the anger of villagers," Dhome said.

Meanwhile, Pimparkhed residents continue to express significant anxiety over frequent leopard sightings, often daily in the early morning and late evening. Many parents have stopped sending their children to school alone and avoid going out after dark.

Forest officials reported increased patrolling and monitoring of leopard movements using camera traps. Plans are also underway to strengthen existing animal care centres and accelerate the construction of new facilities to house captured leopards, aiming to mitigate future conflicts.

Dhome highlighted the ongoing issue, "On Wednesday morning, farm labourers in the village had to stop their pesticide spraying work as they saw a leopard on the farm. For the last few days, there have been sightings of the animal." Villagers estimated approximately 50 leopards in the region, noting that only 17 had been captured so far.