Pune: The Central Zoo Authority (CZA), as part of measures to reduce human–animal conflict in the Junnar forest division, has approved two new leopard rescue centres that will together accommodate up to 480 leopards.The proposed facilities will come up at Kuran and Santwadi villages in Junnar tehsil, adding to the existing Manikdoh Leopard Rescue Centre — which is already operating beyond its capacity.Forest officials said the approval marks the first phase of an ambitious plan to create a network of rescue centres capable of housing up to 1,200 leopards.The officials believe the proposed rescue centres will strengthen their ability to manage conflict situations, rehabilitate injured animals and reduce pressure on the overcrowded Manikdoh facility.Smita Rajhans, assistant conservator of forests (Junnar division), said the department had originally proposed five rescue centres considering the exceptionally high leopard population in the region.“Trapping a leopard is one of the measures that we have resorted to provide immediate relief to the affected population. Last year, after the fatal attacks in Pimparkhed village, we trapped leopards in huge numbers. But our existing facility could not accommodate all of them. Therefore, the need was felt to have more such facilities across the division to house more animals to deal with extreme situations in the future, “ Rajhans told TOI.However, experts caution that long-term solutions will also require better conflict mitigation, public awareness and scientific management of the region’s rapidly growing leopard population.“Only trapping is not going to help the department. Some of the concrete steps such as the contraception programme and mitigation based on leopard census should be prioritised in the coming years. These measures are globally accepted and can produce the results in the long run,” a biologist who worked in the region for a few years told TOI.The new centres will be developed on the lines of the Manikdoh Leopard Rescue Centre and are proposed to be spread across nearly 500 hectares of forest land. Officials estimate the project will cost more than Rs450 crore and take about five years to complete.Over the years, Junnar’s sugar cane belt has become a safe habitat for leopards, leading to frequent encounters with villagers.
