'Protest In Style': Junnar MLA Sharad Sonawane Dons Leopard Costume To Protest Rising Wildlife Attacks in Maharashtra- WATCH

Nagpur: A bizarre incident rocked Maharashtra Assembly Session on Wednesday when Junnar MLA Sharad Sonawane attended the assembly donning a leopard costume. The minister took this extreme step to protest against the rising incidents of leopard attacks in the state, particularly in Pune’s district rural areas, including Junnar and Shirur.

He added at least 55 people lost their lives in his constituency in past 2-3 months due to leopard attack and said that he had also warned the government about the man-animal conflict issue in 2014-15 Winter Session.

Goats To Be Released In Forests

In response to a calling attention motion raised by the opposition Nationalist Congress Party-Sharad Pawar (NCP-SP), Maharashtra Forest Minister Ganesh Naik had earlier said on Tuesday that forest officials have been asked to release goats in large numbers in forests to stop leopards from entering human settlements in search of prey.

The minister added, "If four people are killed in leopard attacks, the state has to pay ₹1 crore (as compensation). So I told officials, instead of paying compensation after deaths, release goats worth ₹1 crore into the forest so leopards do not venture into human habitats."

Naik further stated that the decision will soon be implemented in areas where leopard menace is on rise. Ahilyanagar, Pune and Nashik districts reportedly were witnessing the highest number of leopard-related incidents, the minister said.

Furthermore, owing to the rise in births of the leopards, their population is also on the rise, stated the minister and  bamboo would be planted around dense forests like the Tadoba reserve to act as a hedge to curb the movement of tigers and leopards.

Naik said the Union government had asked the state forest department to sterilise only five animals on an experimental basis and wait for three years to see the results. But the state has decided to carry out experimental sterilisation and approach the Union government after six months to increase its scope.

Human-Wildlife Conflict

Meanwhile, three leopards have been captured in the last 24 hours by forest officials in Shirur tehsil. In a separate incident, a leopard that had fallen into a well in Fakate village was rescued and all four animals have been shifted to the Manikdoh Leopard Rescue Centre (MLRC) in Junnar.

Officials said that at least 30 leopards have been captured from the Shirur forest range over the past one month and shifted to the MLRC.

Woman Injured After Leopard Attack

Amid a sharp rise in human-animal conflicts, a woman identified as Anjana Valmik Kotwal in the Kholshet area of Ashtapur, Haveli taluka, was injured in a leopard attack. She is receiving treatment at a private hospital, and the incident has reportedly spread fear across the Ashtapur area.

Following the attack, former Shirur-Haveli MLA Ashok Pawar visited the hospital to check on her condition and urged authorities to take preventive measures, including installing cages and increasing patrols to ensure citizens’ safety.

Also Read: DGCA Cracks Down, Orders Immediate Inspections At 11 Airports As IndiGo Crisis Throws Air Travel Into Chaos