Despite complaints by tourists about not being able to spot rare animals at the Dajipur wildlife sanctuary, some managed to spot the elusive leopard cat. This has become a topic of discussion in wildlife circles and members of the fraternity demanded more focus on conserving this ecologically important forest. Dajipur and Radhanagri wildlife sanctuaries have been declared as natural world heritage sites by UNESCO. The sighting of this evasive cat is expected to boost tourism in the area.

Samrat Kerkar, president of the Bison Nature Club, said, "In the first week of January, Mumbai-based nature lovers Nirmal Kumar Kurve and Dr Poonam Kurve visited the Dajipur wildlife sanctuary. They were lucky to spot a leopard cat, which is rare. There have been sightings in the vicinity late in the evenings and during the night. But this might be the first time that tourists have managed to spot a leopard cat and document it. The sighting highlights how important the area is in terms of the conservation of wild animals." Over 35 species of mammals, 235 bird species and 121 species of butterflies are found in the Radhanagri and Dajipur wildlife sanctuaries. They are spread across 350 square kilometres in Kolhapur.