Nashik's Leopards Soon To Find 'Sanctuary' In Junnar; 22 Leopards From Ahilyanagar To Be Shifted To Manikdoh Centre
· Free Press Journal
Nashik: The Nashik Forest Department has confined approximately 30 leopards in cages, and these leopards are soon to be relocated to the Manikdoh Leopard Sanctuary in Junnar. Sources within the office of the Chief Conservator of Forests (Nashik Circle) have confirmed that this transfer is imminent, as space has now become available within the sanctuary.
Following the human-leopard conflict witnessed in Ahilyanagar last year, a similar situation had arisen in Nashik as well. The issue regarding the 21 leopards currently held in cages across Nashik, Ahilyanagar, and Junnar has garnered significant attention. The Forest Department faced a critical dilemma: where should the caged leopards be released? Acting on directives from the state government, measures to mitigate the human-leopard conflict were implemented on a war footing across both districts.
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Cages were strategically placed in potential leopard hotspots to capture the animals; however, the captured leopards were not subsequently released back into their natural habitats. Consequently, the Forest Department claims that incidents of leopard attacks in both districts have been brought under control. The question of where to release the caged leopards continued to loom over forest officials.
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Forest officials, along with wildlife conservation organisations, were anxiously awaiting a decision from the state-level committee regarding this matter. Currently, there are approximately 21 leopards confined in cages across Nashik, Ahilyanagar, and Junnar. Wildlife experts emphasise that it is imperative to immediately relocate these leopards to larger, open enclosures.
With the intensity of the summer heat rising across the state and maximum temperatures reaching up to 40 degrees Celsius, wildlife experts have expressed grave concern that the lives of the leopards confined in small cages could be at risk. Experts have warned that leopards confined in small cages could succumb to the heat.
The Nashik Forest Circle has stated that, following the availability of space at the Manikdoh Sanctuary, the process of relocating 22 leopards (currently in Ahilyanagar) is underway as a first phase. A decision regarding the remaining leopards will also be taken shortly. Experts opine that while the measures implemented by the Forest Department to mitigate human-wildlife conflict have met with success, larger sanctuaries are essential for the long-term management of leopards currently held in cages.
Against this backdrop, wildlife enthusiasts and experts are urging the Forest Department to immediately relocate the leopards to spacious, open enclosures. Given that the prevailing heatwave poses a threat to the lives of the caged leopards, there is a consensus that immediate action is imperative.