Forest dept to set up three leopard safaris in state

The state is all set to get its first leopard safari. The  forest department has decided to set up such safaris at three places in the state — near Belwandi in Ahmednagar district, at Manikdoh in Pune district and at Sanjay Gandhi National Park, Mumbai.

The Central Zoo Authority passed a proposal of the state government in this regard last week. The actual implementation of the proposal will begin after due approvals from the Supreme Court.

“The tiger and leopard population in the state has grown considerably and this has resulted in man-animal conflict. To avoid this, there is an urgent need for such arrangement for the animals captured from the wild,” said state forest minister Babanrao Pachpute. According to information, 60 leopards captured from various parts of the state, would be rehabilitated in these safaris.

The government will spend Rs10 crore on the safaris, first of which will come up at Belwandi in Shrigonda taluka of Ahmednagar district, he added.

“Yashomala Enterprises, Pune had submitted a proposal to establish leopard safaris in the state, which has been approved by the CZA,” said B Majumdar, principal chief conservator of forests (PCCF), wildlife.