Four new leopard care centres planned in Junnar to tackle rising man-animal conflict

Pune: The Junnar forest division in the district has announced the establishment of four new animal care centres to house and rehabilitate captured leopards. Each of the proposed centres will be equipped to accommodate up to 250 leopards, providing comprehensive healthcare and rehabilitation facilities. This initiative aims to alleviate the immense pressure on the existing Manikdoh Leopard Rescue Centre, which currently has a limited capacity of 40 and is already operating beyond its limits. The decision was taken during a review meeting chaired by district collector Jitendra Dudi on Tuesday, following a series of leopard attacks that claimed three human lives in the last three weeks alone."The new centres will be established on an emergency basis given the recent spate of incidents of leopard attacks," Prashant Khade, division forest officer (DFO), Junnar forest division, told TOI. "We have already identified suitable locations within the division. Two centres will come up in Shirur tehsil — one near Pimparkhed and another near Nhavare village, while the other two are proposed at Manchar in Junnar tehsil and Khed." The forest division's urgent action follows a distressing rise in leopard-related fatalities across the region, encompassing Junnar, Shirur, Ambegaon, and Khed tehsils. Over the past three weeks alone, three villagers, including Rohan Vilas Bombe (11) from Pimparkhed, tragically lost their lives in separate leopard attacks in Pimparkhed and Jambut villages of Shirur tehsil. The Junnar region has historically been a hotspot for human-leopard encounters due to its unique landscape. Sugar cane fields interspersed with natural forest patches create ideal hiding grounds for leopards, drawing them closer to human settlements. The increased frequency of captures has critically strained existing facilities, compelling authorities to seek immediate and expanded solutions. In parallel with the new centres, the Manikdoh Leopard Rescue Centre is also undergoing an upgrade to expand its capacity to 125 leopards. "We are preparing a comprehensive proposal that includes architectural designs and staffing requirements for all the new facilities," Khade added. Each new centre will feature state-of-the-art veterinary units, dedicated quarantine areas, and trained care staff to ensure proper medical attention and nutrition for the captured animals. Forest officials stated that these centres would not only serve as shelters for leopards but also cater to other rescued wild animals in future. A senior forest official underscored the critical need for such infrastructure, noting the consistent annual increase in leopard captures. "We have reached a situation where our existing facilities are full. Without additional space, it becomes increasingly difficult to manage and rehabilitate captured leopards and, consequently, to mitigate the conflict effectively," the official explained. Once operational, the new care centres are expected to function as regional hubs for leopard management and broader wildlife rescue operations. They will also play a crucial role in supporting ongoing awareness and community engagement programmes conducted by the forest department, aimed at educating villagers on safe coexistence with wildlife. Experts said that alongside creating these essential holding facilities, sustained efforts must continue towards strengthening habitat management, restoring prey bases, and deploying rapid-response teams for comprehensive conflict mitigation.