THANE: Forest Minister Ganesh Naik said the state has taken cognisance of the frequent leopard attacks in Pune and Ahilyanagar districts and is taking corrective steps by introducing a hi-tech mechanism to avoid man-animal conflicts in the region.“We are wary of the rising leopard population in Pune and the surrounding region. The big cats seem to have assumed that the abundant sugarcane farms are part of their habitat. Presently, there are roughly 1,000 or more leopards in Junnar alone. We are seeking approval from the centre to instantly shoot big cats that attack humans,” said Naik.
Naik added that the state is introducing initiatives to reduce man-animal conflicts in the region. “We have allocated Rs 11 crore for replicating the Chandrapur model of using an AI-based early warning system that will minimise instances of man-animal conflict. The system tracks leopard movements and alerts villagers in advance.”The minister, who visited families of the victims of leopard attacks, said he felt ashamed after seeing the tears in the eyes of the relatives. “No amount of compensation can bring back the lost lives. We are considering sterilisation of the big cats, else very soon we may see leopards strolling around in villages just like stray dogs,” he said while addressing the media in Pune on Wednesday.
