Study finds easy prey slowing down leopards close to villages in Junnar

Pune: Experts from the Wildlife Institute of India (WIA) and the Junnar forest division have found that the five radio-collared leopards in the Junnar forest division are staying close to human habitats in villages. Their movement is ‘slow’ as they get enough food in their surroundings, they said.

Bilal Habib, scientist at WIA who is heading the project, told TOI on Saturday, “These animals seem to have adopted their strategy to stay in a human-dominated landscape. Because their behavior is in complete contrast to the leopards living in the wildlife sanctuary in Maharashtra. Leopards in wildlife sanctuaries usually cover 2-3 km distance in a day in search of prey. They get scared of loud sounds and leave the area for their safety. However, the animals in the Junnar division are moving only 400- 00 m distance in a day. They are living in sugar cane fields and do not even get scared of loud sounds.”

Two WIA researchers are monitoring their movements and living patterns closely. Habib said,“We have got permission from the state government to radio collar 15 leopards. We are in the process of collaring the rest.”

Jayram Gowda, deputy conservator of forest, Junnar division, said, “Studying each aspect of the animal’s behaviour is key. We will then have a concrete standard operating procedure for the entire division to address the human-animal conflict. The findings have, so far, proved that the animals in the division are staying close to the human habitation.”