Pune: The death of a five-year-old Bhagyashree Ware in a leopard attack in Shirur tehsil’s Pimpalsuti village has reignited concerns over persistent human-wildlife conflict in Junnar forest division.She is the first person to be killed by a leopard in the division this year.The Junnar forest division remains one of the country’s most conflict-prone landscapes, having recorded six fatal leopard attacks last year.According to forest officials, the attack occurred shortly before dawn on Wednesday. The victim’s father, a farm labourer, had stepped out of the cattle shed where the family was sleeping to use a nearby toilet.“The girl was sleeping with her parents inside the shed. When the father stepped outside, a leopard entered, snatched the child, and dragged her into a nearby sugarcane field. The father gave a chase but could not intercept the animal,” said Smita Rajhans, assistant conservator of forests, Junnar division.The girl’s partially eaten body was recovered approximately 800 metres inside the field. “The leopard had consumed parts of the neck, hand, and cheeks. We have collected pugmarks and swab samples from the site for scientific analysis,” Rajhans added.The incident sparked outrage in Pimpalsuti, with residents accusing the forest department of relying on temporary “band-aid” fixes rather than addressing the root of the recurring conflict.“Merely placing trap cages will not solve the problem. We need a long-term, scientific strategy,” protesters said. “Leopard sightings are common here. The department claims sugar cane provides ideal cover for leopards, but that cannot mean farmers must stop cultivating their primary crop.”In response to the attack, the forest department has deployed 13 trap cages and installed camera traps to monitor movement in the area. Officials also conducted drone surveillance of the surrounding fields but were unable to locate the animal.Senior forest officials noted that dense monsoon vegetation and overgrown bushes near homes allow leopards to move undetected. “Leopards are highly adaptable and can remain concealed even in small patches of greenery. During the monsoon, lush growth around villages increases the risk of predators moving close to houses. We have been advising residents to clear dense bushes from their surroundings,” an official stated.Under the state govt’s compensation policy, the victim’s family is entitled to Rs25 lakh. Officials confirmed that an initial payment of Rs10 lakh will be released immediately, with the remaining Rs15 lakh to be disbursed following the completion of the post-mortem and forensic analysis.Wildlife experts believe this latest tragedy underscores the unique challenge of Junnar, where one of India’s highest leopard densities coexists within a landscape dominated by intensive sugar cane cultivation.“The ecological dynamics of Junnar are distinct because of the exceptionally high density of leopards in a human-dominated area. Encounters are inevitable, though not all turn fatal,” a senior conservationist told TOI.Experts are calling for a shift from reactive measures to proactive ones. “We need sustained village-level awareness, specialised school programmes, and use of social media to educate the public on safe behaviour. Long-term coexistence depends on informed communities and evidence-based habitat management rather than crisis-driven responses,” another expert added.The death is expected to intensify pressure on the forest department to strengthen mitigation measures across Junnar, Ambegaon, Khed, and Shirur tehsils, where the delicate balance between wildlife conservation and human safety is under constant strain.
