Leopard Menace Escalates in Junnar Forest Division: 21 Deaths in 5 Years

In Junnar Forest Division, wildlife-related danger is rising: over five years, 21 people died and 43 attacked by leopards. Farming zones now face heightened risk.

Junnar | November 07, 2025:  Junnar’s forest division is witnessing a sharp increase in human-leopard conflict, with recent data showing alarming trends.

Over the past five years, leopards have claimed 21 lives and attacked 43 people in this region. Further extending the timeframe to 25 years, there have been at least 55 human fatalities and around 148 injuries linked to leopard attacks.

The affected area includes Junnar taluka along with neighbouring regions like Ambegaon, Shirur, and Khed. These tehsils have seen repeated incidents as agricultural lands, especially sugarcane plantations, expand closer to forest fringes creating habitat overlap between people and big cats.

Farmers and residents report increasing fear, especially in villages adjacent to dense sugarcane fields, water bodies, and orchards. They say that night-time movement outdoors has become riskier, and livestock losses are frequent.

Officials acknowledge the ongoing danger. The terrain and farming patterns have made some areas “high-conflict zones,” prompting calls for urgent mitigation. Amid the rising incidents, forest authorities are under pressure to strengthen monitoring, deploy traps or cages, and possibly control leopard reproduction in certain zones.

Local wildlife experts highlight that perennial crops like sugarcane and orchards provide cover and attract prey species, contributing to the higher presence of leopards around farmland.

As the number of attacks grows, both human casualties and livestock losses mount and residents demand decisive action before more lives are lost.

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