In a move that could significantly alter a critical wildlife corridor, the Maharashtra Forest Department has recommended excluding certain villages from the proposed tiger corridor in the Sahyadri Tiger Reserve under the draft Tiger Conservation Plan (TCP). This comes after local representatives demanded to remove these villages from the TCP and Eco Sensitive Zone, which the experts believe would be a disaster for wildlife.

The recommendation covers multiple villages in Shahuwadi and Panhala talukas of Kolhapur district areas, considered important for maintaining landscape connectivity for the big cats.