Pune: Forest guards in Junnar have found out that it is tough to help both leopards and humans, especially living in such close proximity. On some days, the Junnar division of forest department is left wondering how they can mitigate the conflict . As a TOI team walked through fields with the forest guards, they said, “We have to save both the leopards and the people.
How long can we power through?” From 8am, forest staff take out every territory for possible sightings of a leopard and check the trap cages. Sometimes, they need to verify claims of livestock deaths in leopard attacks. Once done, they patrol each assigned region, checking for any signs of a leopard’s presence.
But when there is fearful talk of a feline that has killed or injured yet another person in the taluka, forest officers have to set aside their daily duties, and rush to the spot where they are met with angry villagers and much worse, a possibly aggressive leopard. Forester Rupavali Jagtap said they meet furious villagers who sometimes assault them. “But, we understand their pain.
They call us names and say we don’t do enough. My life is dedicated to this job and we try to do as much as we can. But, we too have their fears and their limitations.
We also want policy changes.” On May 10, a leopard killed a 45-year-old woman in Pimpri Pendhar in a leopard attack. A group of angry women turned on a woman forest guard and allegedly tried to throttle her.
“Several rumours demoralize guards, who work through odd hours, patrolling fields at night at risk of their lives. When we assess the situation, a few people start a scuffle in the crowd. Generally, the affected people are more understanding,” Vaibhav Kakade, range forest officer, Otur division said.
When the villagers are agitated, at least 50 forest officers assemble at the conflict spot, including the deputy conservator of forests. “We are short-staffed and need police officers to be present,” a forester said. The department has 175 officials on the team.
The team handles forest fires during summers started by notorious shepherds or farmers. Located close to the Sahyadri range, Junnar’s fires have proven to be deadly and almost impossible to put out. Conflict peaks after 30 yrs The forest staff say after 1994, the leopard-human conflict has come back to haunt the region in the last two years, and all they can do about it is to carry out rescues, awareness drives and patrolling.
“We advise them to not go out alone in the dark, equip themselves with stout sticks for defense, make loud noises and not sleep outside the house at night,” said officers. But now villagers even chase after the felines. “It is funny, we have been telling them to avoid leopards, and here they are, jumping into the fields and running after the animal,” a forester said.
A forest guard showed a video with a small snippet of their patrol team at night which found a family with children sleeping out close to a sugar cane farm. “When we told them to move inside the house, they said they were guarding the sheep. The livestock was inside an enclosed cage while the children were outside and defenceless.
Our advisories are often ignored,” Jagtap added. Bound in red tape Forest officers say getting permission to place trap cages is the longest process. After a leopard attack, they need to approach the principal chief conservator of forests (wildlife) of Maharashtra and seek permission.
Then, the National Tiger Conservation Authority’s committee looks into it and gives permission. Deputy conservator of forests Amol Satpute said, “It takes time to set up the trap cages. If they delegate the responsibility, it would be better for us to grant permission.
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