Maharashtra: Leopard rescue centre to get 10 acres to create a permanent home

The Manikdoh Leopard Rescue Centre (MLRC), Manikdoh, in Junnar Taluka, near Pune can finally look at saving and rescuing more leopards after the Maharashtra Government approved 10 acres land for expansion, making a permanent home for leopards after 13 years.

Set in 2007, Manikdoh is one of India’s largest leopard care centres, handled by an NGO Wildlife SOS, along with the government of Maharashtra. “This centre has 33 leopards, with 22 female and 11 male leopards on a centre spread over 4 hectares of land,” said DFO Ayaramegowda R, IFS, Deputy Conservator of Forest, Junnar

In the last decade, Maharashtra has seen a dramatic increase in man-animal conflicts, predominantly problems relating to leopards that have ventured into sugarcane fields and human habitation. Unfortunately, this is a direct consequence of rapid human encroachment into forested areas surrounding villages and crop fields. With the unwarranted invasion of their natural habitat, the leopards find their territory and prey base depleting and are forced to seek out domestic animals and livestock for survival. This has caused indiscriminate trapping and killing of leopards perceived to be a threat.

“We are in the process of finalizing the land and we have persuaded Irrigation Department to get a land adjacent to MLRC, for this accordingly we have got in-principal approval for land transfer after paying 10 lakhs per hectare. The total land is roughly 15 hectares, while the whole area is not suitable for expansion and there are few issues with exact boundary demarcation but as per our own survey, around 10 hectares of land can be taken for centre expansion,” said Gowda.

He further added that in order to make a survey and officially demarcate the area, they have asked the land records department to make survey under the most urgent.

“Accordingly as per the survey we raise demand for handing over the said land and budget sanction, then we will prepare a detail master plan of extension after getting approval from the government. At present we have housed 33 leopards and the centre is having the capacity to house 39 leopards. We thinking make a plan to house other animals too including leopards, which will be done in a phased manner. The added infrastructure can help in rescue and treating animals, it can house more orphaned,  injured and problematic animal for we believe in preparation for any circumstances is always better,” he added.

In 2007, Wildlife SOS in collaboration with the Maharashtra Forest Department established the Manikdoh Leopard Rescue Centre in Junnar, near Pune. The centre is home to over 30 leopards and provides temporary or life-time care, for leopards injured by villagers or trapped in conflict situations. The centre also houses several orphaned leopards who cannot be released back into the wild as they are severely imprinted.