Open wells pose threat to leopards in Maharashtra

Open wells across Maharashtra are turning out to be the biggest nemesis for leopards, especially around the rural areas of Pune, Junnar, and Nashik, prompting wildlife activists to demand that the district administration either cover or fence up these wells.

Forest department officials from Pune admitted that in the last few years, open wells have indeed become a major problem, what with growing human habitation, and even they have been corresponding with the authorities, albeit with limited success.   

In 2016 itself, according to officials from Manikdoh Leopard Rescue Centre in Junnar, near Pune, they ended up successfully rescuing over eight leopards that had fallen into wells, some of which were 40 feet deep. “Leopards from areas like Junnar as well as Nashik have been co-existing with humans, living in and around sugarcane fields, and faced extremely high risk of falling into these wells while chasing small preys like dogs or goats in and around the human settlements at night,” said Dr Ajay Deshmukh, Senior Veterinary Officer at the rescue centre, adding that it was even reported that leopards being chased by villagers had also accidently fallen into the wells on several occasions. 

According to a wildlife expert, a majority of the wells in rural areas lack safety walls and hence building these walls was a viable alternative. “It will not only help save the leopards from falling into the wells, but will also save the forest department the time and effort put in each time a leopard falls into a well. Apart from this, there was a considerable risk to the people involved in the rescue operations, as well as to the villagers where the leopard was being removed, as chances were that it might attack in stress,” said the expert.

Meanwhile, wildlife rescue and rehabilitation organisation, Wildlife SOS, has even started an online petition imploring the District Collector of Pune to take measures for covering or fencing off the area’s wells so that wild animals are not further jeopardised as it was estimated that lives of over 1500 animals have been claimed by open wells in the last decade in Maharashtra alone.

Pune-based wildlife biologist and leopard expert Dr Vidya Athreya said that the need for covering the wells was also included in a detailed action plan report prepared by her, along with state forest department, for dealing with leopards outside Protected Areas. “We have identified it as one of the crucial steps needed to reduce conflict and this matter was also discussed with the Pune Collector as well,” she said.