Special Correspondent
Pune: Wildlife SOS, in collaboration with the Maharashtra Forest Department, has made significant strides in reducing the number of leopard and other wildlife falls into open wells in the Junnar region. The initiative, a part of their ongoing Open Wells Conservation Project, has successfully minimized these incidents through well-covering efforts and extensive public awareness campaigns over the past year.
As part of this conservation effort, five open wells in the regions of Hivare Narayangaon, Warulwadi, Nimgaon Sawa, Pimpari Pendhar, and Ane have been securely covered to prevent wildlife from falling into them. These measures are crucial in ensuring the safety of leopards and other animals, who have previously fallen into these dangerous wells, often resulting in fatalities.
Wildlife SOS conducted a detailed field study to investigate the causes behind these unfortunate falls. The study revealed that leopards frequently fall into open wells while hunting domestic animals like dogs, goats, cows, and cats, which are often left outside at night. These domestic animals become easy prey for leopards, who venture close to human settlements during the evening hours. In the midst of their pursuit, leopards often end up falling into the open wells.
Thanks to these preventive actions and awareness efforts, the frequency of such incidents has dramatically decreased, marking a major success for wildlife conservation in the region.
