Pune: In view of increasing incidents of human-leopard conflict in the Junnar forest division, the Forest Department has begun relocating leopards from the Manikdoh Leopard Rescue Centre to a wildlife rehabilitation facility in Gujarat.
Over the past decade, attacks on humans and livestock by wild cats have increased in sensitive areas of Junnar and Shirur. As a result, several leopards were captured from conflict zones and kept at the Manikdoh Leopard Rescue Centre, operated by the Junnar Forest Department. However, with the centre’s capacity limited to 50 animals, the department decided to relocate additional leopards to other protected facilities across the country.
Following discussions, a proposal was submitted to the Central Zoo Authority (CZA), New Delhi, seeking permission to shift 50 leopards to the Greens Zoological Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre (Vantara) in Jamnagar, Gujarat. The proposal received approval on December 20, 2025.
After completing the necessary procedures, a 25-member team from the Vantara centre, led by veterinary officer Dr Gaurav Srivastava, arrived in Junnar on March 6. On March 7, a total of 20 leopards, 10 males and 10 females, were successfully transported in specially designed, air-conditioned rescue vans equipped for wildlife relocation. All veterinary and technical precautions were taken to ensure the animals’ safety during the transfer.
The relocation was carried out under the guidance of Dr Jitendra Ramgaonkar, Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife), Western Region, and Ashish Thackeray, Conservator of Forests, Pune. The operation also involved Prashant Khade, Deputy Conservator of Forests, Junnar; Lokesh Patil, Probationary Deputy Conservator of Forests; Smita Rajhans and Amrit Shinde, Assistant Conservators of Forests; Pradeep Chavan, Forest Range Officer, Junnar; and Chaitanya Kamble, Forest Range Officer, Otur, along with staff from Wildlife SOS and other field personnel.
Prashant Khade (IFS), Deputy Conservator of Forests, Junnar Forest Division, said, "The Junnar Forest Department is implementing several measures to reduce human-wildlife conflict in the region and has appealed to citizens to cooperate with the department in conservation efforts."
