The man-animal clashes over the last decade have increased. According to data obtained from officials at the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP), a total of 28 leopards were trapped and rescued in the last 10 years, that is, between 2004 and 2014.
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2014/mar/Leopards.jpg" alt="" /> Graphic/Amit Bandre
A majority of the animals 24 were trapped in Aarey Milk Colony, and three were rescued from Powai. One cub was killed when a car knocked it down. The Aarey colony falls under the Mumbai Territorial Range of the Thane Forest Department. Wildlife experts and locals blame the fast-disappearing forest cover and rising encroachments.
Chandu Jadhav, a tribal who lives in Vanichapada, said, &ldquo;We have never been in favour of trapping leopards, because we know humans and leopards can coexist. The main reason for the rise in man-animal conflict cases in Aarey Colony is increasing encroachment and decreasing forest cover. When people grab the leopard&rsquo;s territory, the attack is natural.&rdquo;
Aarey Milk Colony spans about 16 sq km, with about seven padas (villages) of the tribal Warli community. But there are more than 20 slums inside. &ldquo;Trapping a leopard and trans-locating it is not a solution, because attacks will happen in the new area where the leopard is released. In Aarey Milk Colony, no agency has kept a tab on the illegal slums.
The colony is rapidly losing its forest cover; if this continues, we won&rsquo;t have any leopards left. The encroachments need to be cleared to give the animals a proper territory to move,&rdquo; says Krishna Tiwari, wildlife expert, Forest &amp; Wildlife Conservation Centre.

According to the Sanjay Gandhi National Park officials, the number includes incidents when big cats were trapped, rescued and killed

28 man-leopard conflicts took place in last 10 years: SGNP survey

Trending Stories

Latest Photos

Latest Videos

Latest Web Stories

Mid-Day Fast

Home / Mumbai / Mumbai News / Article / 28 man-leopard conflicts took place in last 10 years: SGNP survey

28 man-leopard conflicts took place in last 10 years: SGNP survey

Trending Stories

Latest Photos

Latest Videos

Latest Web Stories

Mid-Day Fast