State govt sanctions Rs60 crores for Junnar leopard safari

The former Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government had announced that the safari park would come up in Baramati but the incumbent government has made it clear that it will be set up in Junnar

The prospects of setting up a world-class leopard safari at Ambegavhan village in Junnar taluka have got a shot in the arm with deputy chief minister and finance minister Devendra Fadnavis proposing an allocation of Rs60 crores for the safari park slated to come up on 400 hectares of land. The former Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government had announced that the safari park would come up in Baramati but the incumbent government has made it clear that it will be set up in Junnar.

For many years now, there has been growing clamour for a leopard safari in Junnar.ds (REPRESENTATIVE PHOTO)

Junnar range forest officer Vaibhav Kakade said, “The leopard safari centre has been proposed on forest land in Ambegavhan village, Junnar. The government has announced fund allocation for the project and the work will begin soon.”

For many years now, there has been growing clamour for a leopard safari in Junnar. Earlier, the then deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar had announced that the project would come up in Baramati which however got scrapped when the Eknath Shinde-led government came to power. According to the forest department, the growing leopard population in the Junnar, Khed, Ambegaon and Shirur talukas of the district has intensified the man-animal conflict in these areas wherein human loss including loss of livestock is being regularly reported by the villagers. The leopard safari aims to unite the leopards moving in the entire leopard belt while reducing incidents of man-animal conflict at the same time. The leopard safari was first proposed by former legislator Sharad Sonawane in 2018 and later seconded by MLA Sharad Benke who drew the government’s attention towards the project and made efforts to get the necessary permissions. Whereas the state forest, fisheries and cultural affairs ministry had directed the forest department to prepare a comprehensive plan for development of the leopard belt in Junnar into a safari park by February 15. Junnar and its neighbouring areas are home to many leopards, and the safari is also aimed at boosting tourism and employment in the area. While the safari development project will lay special emphasis on dams, rivers and ancient temples located in the region, Junnar also houses the Giant Metre Radiowave Telescope which attracts radio astronomers from across the globe. Currently, Wildlife SOS is running a leopard rescue centre at Manikdoh in Junnar in association with the state forest department. Manikdoh is one of India’s largest leopard care centres in Maharashtra since the year 2007.