E-Paper
Unusual peace among Junnar leopards sparks scientific curiosity
Forest officials confirmed that they are now exploring this possibility through scientific assessment
Despite a sharp rise in the leopard population, reports of territorial fights in the Junnar landscape remain unusually low. The pattern has prompted forest officials and scientists to examine whether leopards in the region are displaying kinship-based tolerance and cohabitation — a behaviour that, if proven, would mark a significant shift from the species’ well-known territorial instinct. Forest officials confirmed that they are now exploring this possibility through scientific assessment.
After a recent human death in Shirur tehsil, the Junnar forest division conducted a capture drive in Pimparkhed village. The team trapped three male leopards within a three-kilometre radius — all of the same age group. Officials said the find was surprising, as three adult males would typically engage in frequent, aggressive fights for territorial dominance. Similar cases of multiple leopards living close together have been recorded earlier, but instances of territorial clashes remain very few.
Smita Rajhans, assistant conservator of forests, Junnar division, said: “The recent capture of three male leopards together has taken us by surprise. Usually in such conditions, frequent fights are reported elsewhere. But this is not the case in Junnar. Hence, we are now planning a scientific analysis of their genetic relationship to understand whether kinship is influencing the absence of territorial fights.”
The behavioural trend has also drawn interest from wildlife researchers. Ankit Kumar, a wildlife researcher from the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) who worked under senior scientist Dr Bilal Habib, said their study had earlier pointed to a pattern of structured coexistence.
“We conducted a radio-collar study on 14 leopards in Junnar between 2021 and 2024. Our findings showed that multiple leopards were inhabiting the same larger landscape, yet within that area each individual maintained a small, well-defined core territory. Leopards appear to recognise these core zones and avoid entering each other’s space, but outside these zones, they seem to coexist peacefully,” he said.
Kumar added that Junnar comprises several forest ranges, each supporting multiple leopards, but individuals do not intrude into the core area of another leopard within the same range. “This suggests a structured, tolerance-based coexistence rather than traditional territorial aggression,” he said.
However, he cautioned that a link to kinship is not yet scientifically established. “We need further studies to confirm any genetic or familial links. But the behavioural pattern we are observing in Junnar is certainly intriguing and worth deeper exploration.”
Wildlife study questions relocation
Pune: A radio-collar study of Junnar leopards documented extensive movement, with some animals travelling as far as Ulhasnagar to the northwest of Pune and Igatpuri to the north. The study further found that relocation is ineffective as a conflict-mitigation strategy. Leopards captured from Junnar and released at distances of 10 km, 45 km and even 60 km returned to their original locations within 10-30 days.
Based on these findings, researchers say relocation cannot serve as a reliable long-term solution. Hunting or culling would require large-scale killing of leopards, which is neither feasible nor ethically acceptable, several experts noted.
While ongoing studies — including the exploration of birth-control methods — may offer some long-term relief, researchers emphasise that the sugarcane-leopard conflict in Junnar is complex and unlikely to be solved through a single intervention.
