Pune Forest Circle Records ₹18.6 Crore In Wildlife Damage Compensation Amid Growing Man-Animal Conflict
Pune Forest Circle Records ₹18.6 Crore In Wildlife Damage Compensation Amid Growing Man-Animal Conflict
Pune, August 8, 2025: In a stark reflection of the increasing man-animal conflict across the Pune forest circle — which includes Pune, Junnar, and Solapur divisions — the forest department has paid out a total of ₹18.60 crore in compensation between January 1, 2023, and July 31, 2025. These payouts have been made to residents who suffered losses due to wild animal attacks, including human fatalities, injuries, crop damage, and loss of livestock.
The Junnar division remains the worst-affected, primarily due to its long-standing struggle with leopard attacks. In 2024 alone, leopard encounters in the region resulted in 10 human deaths, underscoring the severity of the issue.
According to official data, ₹7.91 crore was disbursed in 2023, rising to ₹8.40 crore in 2024. In the first seven months of 2025, ₹2.28 crore has already been paid, with officials expecting a surge in claims post-monsoon when wild animal activity typically increases.
Between January 2023 and July 2025, the department received 12,081 claims. The highest number of claims were for cattle loss, followed by crop damage and human casualties. Of the 2,912 claims filed so far in 2025, 1,974 have been processed and compensated. However, 154 claims were rejected due to lack of evidence or inconsistencies, and another 360 are pending verification.
During this period, 80 human attacks were reported, of which 15 were fatal. Additionally, wild animals killed 11,276 domestic animals and damaged over 2,384 farmlands — highlighting both the economic and emotional toll on affected communities.
While leopards are the primary concern, other species like wild boars, chinkaras (Indian gazelles), blackbucks, and sambar deer have also contributed to the conflict. These animals frequently raid agricultural fields and prey on livestock in villages bordering forest areas.
Forest officials continue to implement mitigation measures such as awareness drives, deployment of rapid response teams, and installation of animal traps. However, the rising numbers indicate an urgent need for a more holistic and proactive approach to manage and reduce man-animal conflicts in the region.
