Maharashtra forest department has drawn up a list of locations for a series of safaris of across the state
The State Forest Department's ambitious state-wide leopard safari project with captured and rescued wild cats finally seems to be taking shape. A list of sites have been drawn up that will be explored for the project. Some of the sites being considered for the safaris are Borivali in Mumbai, Pune, Amravati, Chandrapur and Ahmednagar.
Speaking to DNA, Principal chief conservator of forests (PCCF-Wildlife) and the state's wildlife warden Sree Bhagwan said, "The sites being considered included a Mumbai location, Wadali in Amravati, Ahmednagar, Ballarshah in Chandrapur. Several locations in Pune are being considered including the present leopard rescue centre at Manikdoh near Junnar, Chakan and Lonavala."
Maharashtra State Zoo Authority official have inspected some of these sites to check for their suitability. Officials have already inspected Wadali and found it suitable. Ballarshah, which is forest minister Sudhir Mungantiwar's district, may also be locked. And Chakan at the moment is a leading choice for Pune, officials said.
For a while now, the department has been working on a plan to release rescued leopards from their crammed cages into a natural environment on forest department land that will have leopard-proof fence. The project also give tourists a chance to watch the wildcats in a natural habitat.
Currently about 45 rescued leopards are living in captivity, of these 31 are at the Manikdoh centre in Junnar, and 14 at Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP), Borivali. Some of them have already spent years in a cage.
"Developing safaris will allow these animals to be relocated to a habitat that matches their natural one and also serve as a tourist attraction," said a senior forest official. However, only leopards that will be fit for the natural habitat will be released.
The department had first proposed a leopard safari in SGNP about two years ago, but it hit a roadblock as it required trees to be cut in 20 hectare area finalised. Now, the department is scouting for a fresh site at Borivali where a safari could come up.
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