E-Paper
Maha forest department to tag leopards as part of four-year academic study
The department says collar tagging will help them in finding movement patterns, population demographics and its behaviour for future conservation of the endangered species.
The state forest department, Pune region in association with the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) has started a joint leopard monitoring project in the wake of rising number of leopard spotting in the district. The initiative has received permission from the state government to study hotspots in the district and place collar tags on leopards.
The department has maintained that leopard tagging would lead to professional research and academic study on the leopards and their ecosystems. According to the forest department, collar tagging will help them in finding movement patterns, population demographics and its behaviour for future conservation of the endangered species.
The four-year leopard study is divided into four phases. In the first phase, the leopard hotspots will be located in Pune district. The hotspots are at forty villages which come under the jurisdiction of Junnar, Ambegaon, Khed and Shirur tehsils of the district. The second phase of study will comprise study of leopard habitat, lifestyle, its path trajectory and leopard population census in the district. Junnar forest division incharge and deputy conservator Jairam Gauda, said, “In order to study the leopard ecosystem and other details, it was essential that they be collar tagged.The state government has given us the permission for tagging and academic research work will begin soon. As part of the next phase which includes leopard census, we will study the area where leopard visits or spotting are the maximum. We will conduct an area survey which includes setting up of camera traps.The camera traps will be set up at every two kms which will help us keep a close tab on leopard movement and at the same time ensure safe surveillance of the wild animal.”
Based on the inputs of leopard surveillance, the forest department will be able to prevent man-animal conflict and accordingly devise a policy for the safety and security of animals, Gauda said.
Over the past few years, the talukas of Junnar, Khed, Ambegaon and Shirur have witnessed maximum leopard spotting. According to the forest department, new areas comprising north Daund, Baramati, Indapur and road which goes to South Satara have also seen leopard visits. The said areas will see more number of leopard spotting in the near future, forest officials said.
Wildlife experts maintained that paddy farming had gone up thrice in the district. Paddy fields provide ideal cover for leopards to hide and increase in paddy cultivation has led to an increase in leopard population and area of influence. Recently, a two-year-old leopard was found dead after being mowed down at the Katraj tunnel on August 15.
Seven leopard attacks- one in Hinjewadi and the second in Keshavnagar -were reported in the district in 2019 wherein two persons were killed and seven were reported to be injured.
