Pune: 50 Leopards To Be Relocated To Gujarat’s Vantara Wildlife Centre Amid Rising Human-Animal Conflicts
Pune: 50 Leopards To Be Relocated To Gujarat’s Vantara Wildlife Centre Amid Rising Human-Animal Conflicts
Pune, October 17, 2025: In response to the growing number of leopard attacks in Pune district, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar announced that 50 leopards will be relocated to the Vantara Animal Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre in Gujarat. The decision follows a series of fatal incidents that have raised serious safety concerns among rural residents.
The latest tragedy occurred on October 12, when a six-year-old girl lost her life in a leopard attack in Shirur taluka — marking the third such fatality in 2025. Speaking to reporters after a review meeting with district officials, Pawar, who also serves as the Guardian Minister of Pune district, said, “People are living in fear and frustration. We have discussed the matter with Union Environment Minister Bhupendra Yadav, and it has been decided that around 50 leopards will be shifted to Vantara for rehabilitation.”
The initiative aims to reduce the increasing man-animal conflicts across regions such as Shirur, Junnar, and Maval, where several attacks have been reported in recent months. In March, six people were injured while trying to capture a leopard at the Pavana camping site in Maval, after which forest officials rescued the animal and registered a case under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
Earlier this year, a six-year-old child in Junnar and an 85-year-old woman in Shirur were also killed in separate attacks. The issue has escalated over the years — in 2024, eight people died due to leopard encounters in Pune district, making it one of the worst years for human-leopard conflict in two decades.
The relocation effort to Vantara, a large conservation facility known for animal rescue and welfare, is part of the government’s broader plan to implement long-term, humane, and sustainable measures to ensure the safety of both residents and wildlife.
