Fatal leopard attacks in Junnar prompt villagers to rethink safety of children

The increasing confrontation between humans and leopards in Junnar has made the villagers reevaluate their children’s safety; some are considering keeping their kids at home instead of sending them to schools alone.

“We fear that this could result in a decline in literacy rates in our village,” said one villager, expressing worries about the potential consequences of jeopardizing their children’s safety.

As Junnar grapples with the ongoing human-leopard conflict, residents are compelled to make significant lifestyle adjustments and prioritise safety measures to mitigate the risks posed by these elusive predators.

Ajay Belhekar, farmer, Kalwadi village in Junnar, said, “Earlier the attacks were reported only during the night time or early morning hours, but the situation has drastically changed now. Many recent attacks have happened in broad daylight and the victims are mainly children and elderly.”

“Now people are not willing to leave their children alone even if it’s in their front yard. This was not the case earlier and children could roam in the village freely,” he added.

Hanumant Shingote, head of a panchayat, Umbraj Village, said, “Because of the leopard attacks, there is constant fear among people. Most of the villages in Junnar get electricity only during nighttime, due to which the farmers have to go to the farm to supply water to the crops during nighttime only. However, this time the chances of a leopard attack are higher. Hence many farmers tend not to go to the farm during night time. As a result, the farm produces fruits and vegetables including cabbage, tomato is getting dried up causing a financial loss to the farmers.”

He also highlighted that now leopards are not only limited to farm areas but also come to residential areas of the village.

As a precaution, villagers are adopting various measures as per the instructions from the forest department officials as well as the members of Wildlife SOS who are working to create awareness among the citizens.

Mahendra Dhore, manager, Manikadoh Leopard Rescue Centre, said, “People in the Junnar region have been living and sharing space with leopards for generations, and interaction between leopards and humans is also equally old. People here have understood that they have to co-exist with leopards, but at the same time, they need to adopt certain precautions to avoid unforeseen scenarios. As a result of extensive workshops and awareness sessions, there have been notable changes in the lives of humans living here.”

“I have also observed that when people go out for walks in the morning or after a meal, they always move in groups of four or five, and with a stick or a torch in hand as a precautionary measure. That’s because a leopard will not approach a large group,” he said.

To solve the problem of cattle picking, residents of villages have now created sheds to keep their domestic animals protected. Even for dogs, locals have built dog houses to keep them inside, a practice not observed before. These measures help keep leopards away from the houses.

Aditya Paranjape, wildlife warden, Pune forest department, “Although wildlife protection is important, in the case of Junnar, where human life is at stake, it is necessary to take strong actions. There are multiple reports on how human life is affected due to the leopard’s presence and the attacks. In the case of Junnar sugarcane field has protected the leopards, moreover, there is no predator for them, and the breeding population has also increased, in areas of every 10 by 10 kilometres, there are at least 10-15 leopards present in that area.”

“Therefore, the leopard presence has increased significantly in Junnar in recent years. Now, the situation is such that policy decisions like neutralising a leopard are necessary. The project should be taken on a pilot basis with a proper focus on Junnar,” he said.