Efforts underway to sensitise farmers, migrant workers in leopard-prone sugarcane belt

PUNE While the sugarcane-cutting season has started and farmers and farm labourers are increasingly arriving in Junnar, Ambegaon, Shirur and Daund tehsils of Pune district where fields are ripe for the harvest, growing instances of leopard sightings and leopard attacks in these regions have prompted the Junnar forest department to reach out to this particular demographic and sensitise them about the situation on ground and the dos and don’ts of staying in these leopard-prone areas.

With many families working as farmers and farm labourers in these sprawling sugarcane fields, they are wont to stay in temporary settlements built on farms or open grounds, leaving them gullible to leopard attacks. This year, several incidents have been reported of farm labourers or members of their families being attacked by leopards. In some cases, people working in sugarcane fields and even their children have died in these attacks. Recently, such deaths have been reported in the Mandavgan Farata (Shirur) and Boripardhi (Daund) villages. According to experts, more such attacks are likely in the coming months as the sugarcane cutting season typically lasts from November to January every year. To avoid future mishaps, the Junnar forest department is doing its best to sensitise people in these leopard-prone areas.

Smita Rajhans, assistant conservator of forests, Junnar forest department, said, “We have issued guidelines about the dos and don’ts while living in leopard-prone areas, and we are always trying to spread awareness among the people. However, people tend to ignore these guidelines most of the time. In some cases, even the slightest mistake can lead to a fatality. Therefore, we are now enhancing our efforts to reach out to more people and make them aware of the situation on ground. Farmers and migrant workers are our main focus. We will also be visiting all the units where sugarcane juice is extracted and jaggery is produced in villages under the Junnar forest department’s jurisdiction.”

Mandavgan Farata’s big cat eludes capture

Five days have passed since the leopard attack in Mandavgan Farata village of Shirur tehsil but the forest department has been unable to capture the wayward animal. “We are keeping a close watch on this area. Leopard activities are being tracked through thermal drone surveillance and camera traps. We also shift cages as per the leopard movement. However, the leopard is yet to be captured. We will continue to track leopard activities in this area and we hope to capture the big cat soon,” Smita Rajhans said.