Faced with a growing leopard population and a rise in attacks on human settlements, the state government has proposed sterilisation as a solution. Forest Minister Ganesh Naik announced on Monday that a proposal to implement leopard sterilisation for population control will soon be submitted to the Central government.
The issue was discussed during a meeting with Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Monday.
“Currently, the state is experiencing a significant increase in the leopard population. In the Junnar and Ambegaon regions of Pune district, extensive sugarcane cultivation over the past 15 to 20 years has depleted their natural habitat, forcing leopards to stray into human settlements. To address this, sterilisation is being considered as a potential solution. If necessary, discussions will also be held with Union ministers,” said Forest Minister Ganesh Naik.
Speaking about the movement of wild animals into human settlements, the forest minister highlighted the escalating conflict between wildlife and farmers in the state. He noted that wild animals are causing considerable damage to agriculture, and the compensation provided to farmers may need to be revised. Naik assured that necessary improvements would be made after reviewing the situation.
Few months ago, Member of Parliament Amol Kolhe raised the issue in Parliament, urging the Union Minister for Forests to consider sterilisation as a solution to prevent leopard attacks on humans. A similar petition has also been filed in the Bombay High Court. The demand is now gaining momentum across the state.
However, in the Parliament, former Union minister and animal rights activist Maneka Gandhi has stated that leopard sterilisation is not a viable solution. She emphasised that instead of attempting to control the leopard population, efforts should focus on curbing the illegal hunting of their natural prey, such as wild boars and rabbits.
