Junnar MLA Sharad Sonawane arrived at the Maharashtra Winter Assembly Session in a leopard costume to protest the surge in leopard attacks, claiming 55 deaths in Junnar in three months. His move came hours after seven people were injured in a leopard attack in Nagpur
Junnar MLA Sharad Sonawane dons a leopard costume at Maharashtra Assembly. Pic/PTI
To highlight the issue of rising leopard attacks across Maharashtra, Junnar MLA Sharad Sonawane arrived at the state legislature in Nagpur on Wednesday for the Maharashtra Winter Assembly Session dressed in a leopard costume, news agency PTI reported.
The Shiv Sena MLA's gesture came on a day when seven people were injured after a leopard attack in the Pardi area of Nagpur city. The wild cat was captured by the forest department following the incident during the early hours of Wednesday.
While speaking to the media on Wednesday outside the assembly premises, Sonawane claimed that 55 people have died in leopard attacks in Junnar Taluka of Pune district in the past three months.
VIDEO | Maharashtra Assembly Winter Session: MLA Sharad Sonawane dons a leopard costume while addressing a press conference to protest against the rising incidents of leopard attacks in the state.
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) December 10, 2025
(Full video available on PTI Videos - https://t.co/n147TvrpG7) pic.twitter.com/GDL5KskQwo
The Shiv Sena MLA further highlighted that people in the area are living in fear, demanding that the government should build rescue centres which can accommodate up to 2,000 leopards in Junnar taluka and Ahilyanagar district, PTI reported.
On Wednesday, Forest Minister Ganesh Naik had informed the assembly about a proposal to release goats in forests to provide prey for leopards. Responding to this, Sonawane said that it would be of no use as leopards increasingly live in sugarcane fields and near human settlements.
“The government should declare a ‘state emergency’ and capture at least 2,000 leopards and put them in rescue centres,” Sonawane further stated.
In the latest spate of attacks, seven people were injured by a leopard on Wednesday morning in a neighbourhood in the Nagpur District of Maharashtra.
According to officials, the forest department received a call reporting that a leopard had been spotted in Shiv Nagar in the Pardi area of Nagpur, causing panic among local residents.
According to Dr Vinita Vyas, deputy conservator of forests, Nagpur, at least five and at most seven people suffered injuries during the incident, reported the PTI.
A team from the forest department and the wildlife treatment centre quickly reached the location, tranquilised the leopard, and safely rescued it. All the injured persons were taken to hospital for treatment.
(With inputs from PTI)
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