Pune: PIL Filed in Bombay High Court Seeking Leopard Sterilization to Curb Attacks
Ambegaon, 11th October 2024: The Bhimashankar Cooperative Sugar Factory in Pargaon, Ambegaon, has filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the Bombay High Court, seeking sterilization of leopards as a solution to increasing leopard attacks. This decision was made during a board meeting and announced at the factory’s annual general meeting. The PIL was filed under the guidance of State Co-operation Minister and factory founder-director, Dilip Valse Patil, according to factory chairman, Balasaheb Bende.
Bende explained that the expansion of sugarcane cultivation in Ambegaon, Shirur, and the surrounding areas has provided leopards with a habitat within the dense sugarcane fields. “Leopards, being wild animals, primarily prey on domestic animals and livestock. With the rise in their population, the number of attacks has increased dramatically,” he said.
He added, “Leopards are increasingly entering human settlements in search of prey. Along with domestic animals, children, women, and men have also fallen victim to these attacks. It is now essential for the government to sterilize leopards to prevent further attacks and control their population.”
The PIL was filed on behalf of the Bhimashankar Factory by Adv. Tejas Deshmukh. Bende expressed confidence that government-initiated sterilization of leopards would help mitigate the ongoing leopard-human conflict.
