Junnar leopard deaths in wells, on h'ways a worry

To save leopards, forest dept identifies black spots on highways

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Pune: The high number of accidental deaths of leopards in Junnar over the last four years has become a major worry for the state forest department, reports Sandip Dighe.

An internal report of the Junnar forest division has reported 70 deaths of leopards due to drowning in wells and road accidents as against 65 due to natural causes from 2018 till November 1 this year. A forest official said they have been spreading awareness and urging farmers to construct protective walls around their wells to prevent the accidental leopard deaths.

Maharashtra has the highest number of leopards in the forest division spread over Junnar, Ambegaon, Shirur and Khed tehsils. Man-animal conflicts have become a cause for concern over the past two decades.

The Pune-Nashik and Pune-Ahmednagar highways pass through Junnar. Instances of leopards meeting with fatal accidents on highways, particularly during the sugar cane cutting season, have been quite frequent.