Nagpur, Dec 9 (IANS) Maharashtra Forest Minister Ganesh Naik on Tuesday said he had asked the forest officials to release goats in large numbers in forests to stop leopards from entering human settlements in search of prey.

His announcement comes amid rising instances of man and animal conflicts, and especially the deaths of civilians in the leopard’s attacks.

The minister was responding to a calling attention motion raised by NCP (SP) MLA Jitendra Awhad in the Maharashtra legislative assembly regarding the alarming increase in leopard attacks in the state.

“If four people are killed in leopard attacks, the state must pay Rs 1 crore (as compensation). So I told officials, instead of paying compensation after deaths, release goats worth Rs 1 crore into the forest so leopards do not venture into human habitats,” the minister said.

“We will soon implement this decision in areas where the leopard menace is reported,” he added.

The behaviour and living patterns of leopards have changed, he said, adding, “Earlier, they were described as forest animals, but now their habitat has shifted to sugarcane fields. Ahilyanagar, Pune and Nashik districts are reporting the highest number of leopard-related incidents, the minister said.

He said that the Forest Department has informed him that the leopards are now giving birth to four cubs at a time, which is significant and boosts the population of the wild animal.

“The union government restricted the state from undertaking the sterilisation of five leopards for the next three years. However, the state would sterilise the leopards, and after a wait of six months, we will apprise the union government of expanding our scope,” Minister Naik said.

To restrict the movement of tigers and leopards outside forest areas, the minister said, “We would plant bamboo around the dense forest like Tadoba (Dist Chandrapur), encircling the vegetation. This would function in protecting humans from the wildlife.”

“There are no fruit-bearing trees left in the forest areas, due to which the prey of the leopard and other carnivores is venturing out of the forest areas. I have asked the forest officials to plant fruit-bearing trees which will keep the prey in the forest itself,” he said.

The minister also informed the house that the leopard is a Schedule-I animal, restricting the state government’s scope in undertaking curbing steps against its rising menace. The state government has sent a proposal to the Union government to omit the leopard from Schedule I to Schedule II.

Objecting to the minister’s response, Congress legislator Nana Patole said, “As a member of Lok Sabha in the past, I had served in a committee related to wildlife issues. I can assure you that the Union government will not approve the state’s proposal to change the leopards from Schedule I to Schedule II.”

Another legislator, Sharad Sonawane from Junnar in Pune district, said, “Leopard menace is maximum in my constituency, where 55 people have died in leopard attacks. There is a rescue centre in my constituency; its capacity should be increased.”

Minister Naik said, “The state has decided to increase the intake capacity of the leopard rescue centre in Junnar. A new rescue centre is also proposed in Ahilyanagar to curb the leopard problem.”

–IANS

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