The Union environment ministry has taken cognizance of the letter a city based non-profit organisation had sent last month, urging the central government to protect the 'forest' in Aarey Milk Colony. In the letter, NGO Empower Foundation had given evidence of existence of 290 different wildlife species, including leopards, in Goregaon's green zone. The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) on October 3 wrote to Maharashtra's chief wildlife warden asking to take "necessary action in the matter; on the destruction of leopards' habitat and non-forest activities in Aarey forest at the earliest."

Chief Wildlife Warden Nitin Kakodkar did not respond to requests for comment. mid-day had, on September 12, carried the story — NGO: Evidence of 290 wild species inside Aarey Milk Colony — which mentioned about Empower Foundation's 26-page report listing the 290 wild species, including Rusty Spotted cat, Sambar deer and various species of birds, reptiles and butterflies, found in the region.