Proposal to Declare Leopard Attacks on Humans as a ‘State Disaster’ to Be Placed Before Cabinet – Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis

Instructions issued to send a proposal to remove leopards from Schedule I
Two rescue centres to be started in Pune district
Use drones to capture leopards roaming near villages/towns
Track and sterilize man-eating leopards
Increase patrolling by Police and Forest Department in leopard-prone areas
Increase the number of rescue teams and vehicles

Mumbai, Nov 2025 : Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has directed that a proposal to declare the increasing incidents of leopard attacks on humans in the state as a State Disaster should be placed before the next Cabinet meeting. He also instructed officials to prepare and submit a proposal to remove leopards from Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act and include them in Schedule II. To control leopards that attack humans, cages should be installed immediately wherever necessary. Additionally, the Chief Minister instructed relevant departments to start two rescue centres in Pune district within the next two to three months for the treatment and rehabilitation of leopards.

A meeting regarding leopard-related issues in the state was held at Mantralaya under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Fadnavis. Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, Forest Minister Ganesh Naik, Water Resources Minister Girish Mahajan, MLA Sharad Sonawane, former minister Dilip Walse-Patil, Chief Secretary Rajesh Kumar, Additional Chief Secretary (Forest) Milind Mhaiskar, Principal Secretary (Relief and Rehabilitation) Vinita Ved Singhal, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Head of Forest Force) M. Srinivas Reddy, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) Srinivas Reddy, Pune District Collector Jitendra Dudi, and others were present.

Chief Minister Fadnavis said that leopard attacks have increased in the state. To curb this, both immediate and long-term measures should be implemented in a time-bound manner. Immediate measures include identifying and capturing leopards near villages and towns. Drones should be used for this purpose. Funding for cages, vehicles, manpower, and other resources required for capturing leopards should be provided through the District Planning Committee. As part of long-term measures, sterilization of leopards should be carried out. Plans should also be prepared for setting up two rescue centres in Pune district to house captured man-eating leopards, and the capacity of existing rescue centres at Gorewada and other places should be increased.

Since leopards are presently listed in Schedule I, capturing or eliminating man-eating leopards becomes restricted. Thus, a proposal should be sent to the central government to remove leopards from Schedule I. The central government has already granted permission for leopard sterilization; therefore, man-eating leopards should be identified and sterilized, the Chief Minister added.

“Increase rescue centre capacity immediately” – Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde

Deputy Chief Minister Shinde stated that growing leopard attacks have caused public anger. To implement immediate measures, leopards roaming near villages and towns should be tracked with drones and captured. Required manpower should be increased immediately. If a leopard enters a residential area, it should be treated as a man-eater and captured. The number of rescue teams and vehicles in leopard-prone areas should be increased. He also directed that the capacity of rescue centres at Manikdoh and other places should be enhanced.

“Change school timings in leopard-prone areas” – Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar

Deputy Chief Minister Pawar said that leopard attacks have caused law-and-order issues in several areas. Immediate steps must be taken to reduce fear among citizens. Police and Forest Department patrolling should be increased in leopard-prone areas. In Pune, Ahilyanagar, and Nashik districts, where leopard movement is high, school timings should be changed to 9:30 am to 4:00 pm. A proposal for urgent funding to set up new rescue centres should be submitted.

“Ensure prey availability inside forests” – Forest Minister Ganesh Naik

Forest Minister Naik said that due to reduced prey within forests, leopards are entering human settlements and attacking people. To ensure they find prey within the forest itself, goats should be released in forest areas with high leopard density so they do not enter human habitations. He also informed that 1,200 cages are being supplied to Pune district in phases to capture leopards.

Former minister Dilip Walse-Patil, Daund MLA Rahul Kul, Kopargaon MLA Ashutosh Kale, and Shriramnagar MLA Lahu Kanade also raised issues from their respective areas and demanded immediate action.