Maharashtra is witnessing a growing conflict between humans and wildlife as leopard attacks rise across the state, pushing authorities and elected representatives to respond with both symbolic protests and practical interventions. A recent incident in Nagpur, where a leopard strayed into a residential neighbourhood and injured seven people before being tranquilised and relocated, has sharply intensified public concern over such leopard attacks. In response, the state government has announced a series of measures to curb these encounters, while a Shiv Sena MLA dramatically arrived at the state Assembly dressed in a leopard costume to draw attention to the surge in leopard attacks and demand urgent action.
Leopard attack in Nagpur sparks alarm
The latest attack occurred when a leopard entered a densely populated part of Nagpur city, leaving seven residents injured before forest officials managed to sedate the animal and move it to safety. The swift response by wildlife authorities prevented fatalities but highlighted how frequently big cats are now entering human settlements. Maharashtra’s Forest Minister Ganesh Naik visited the injured and expressed relief that all victims were out of danger, while stressing that such incidents must not be allowed to recur. He assured residents that the forest department would make every effort to keep leopards within forested areas and respond quickly whenever an animal enters a residential zone.
Government plans controlled sterilisation
To reduce the number of leopards straying out of forests, the state has initiated a controlled sterilisation trial. Officials have secured limited permission to carry out sterilisation on a very small scale, with the minister clarifying that this is an experiment rather than a full-fledged programme. Over the next six months, authorities will assess the scientific and practical impact of the intervention, including any change in conflict incidents. If the results are encouraging, the state intends to seek approval from the central government to expand the sterilisation project in a regulated manner.
Habitat improvement to keep leopards in forests
Alongside population management, the forest department is focusing on habitat improvement so that leopards have enough prey and resources within forest boundaries. Minister Naik has highlighted ongoing efforts to plant more trees and restore vegetation that supports herbivores, which are the natural prey base for leopards. The logic is that if sufficient food is available inside forests, big cats are less likely to move towards villages and cities in search of easy prey, such as livestock or stray dogs. Conservation experts have long argued that habitat degradation and shrinking green cover push wild animals into human-dominated landscapes.
Technology-driven early warning systems
Maharashtra is also experimenting with technology to detect leopards before they enter crowded localities. The government has deployed artificial intelligence–enabled sirens and sensors that trigger alerts whenever a leopard, or even its moving shadow, is detected in designated high-risk zones. These systems are being piloted in districts such as Ahmednagar, Pune and Nashik, which record some of the highest numbers of leopard-related incidents in the state. Early warnings are intended to give residents time to move indoors, alert authorities and prevent panic, while enabling forest teams to respond with tranquiliser guns and capture cages. For more in-depth read here.
Legal hurdles and protection status
The state government faces regulatory challenges in handling leopards because of their strict protection under wildlife law. Being listed as a Schedule I species, leopards enjoy the highest level of protection, and any capture, relocation or, in extreme cases, elimination must comply with stringent legal provisions and central approvals. Maharashtra has reportedly requested the Union government to examine whether the species’ schedule can be revised in a way that still safeguards conservation objectives while giving the state more flexibility to act swiftly in life-threatening situations. Officials argue that the current framework sometimes slows down response in the midst of escalating conflict.
MLA turns up in leopard costume
Against this tense backdrop, the winter session of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly witnessed an unusual protest. Sharad Sonawane, MLA from the Junnar constituency, arrived at the Assembly wearing a full leopard costume, complete with an artificial fur coat and big-cat mask. He explained that the dramatic attire was meant to highlight the fear and insecurity faced by people in leopard-prone regions and to force the government to treat the situation as an emergency. Sonawane claimed he has been raising the issue since 2014 and accused successive administrations of ignoring repeated demands from his constituency.
The MLA called for the government to declare a state-level emergency on leopard attacks, establish dedicated rescue centres, and ensure that problem leopards are promptly trapped and kept in secure facilities. His protest attracted significant media attention, amplifying the voices of rural and peri-urban communities that live close to leopard habitats. While some viewed the costume as a gimmick, others saw it as a creative way to push human–wildlife conflict to the top of the political agenda.
Balancing conservation and public safety
The developments in Nagpur and the Assembly underline the complex task of balancing wildlife conservation with human safety. Leopards play an important ecological role, and India’s legal framework rightly protects them as a vulnerable species. At the same time, rising encounters and injuries demand a mix of scientific management, better habitat practices, community awareness and responsive governance. Maharashtra’s combination of sterilisation trials, habitat restoration, AI-based detection and political advocacy shows that the state is searching for multi-layered solutions. How effectively these measures are implemented over the coming months will determine whether both people and leopards can coexist more safely across the state.
For more developments beyond recent leopard attacks, readers can follow our dedicated Maharashtra News coverage.