Ira Singh 
Maharashtra Forest Minister Ganesh Naik recently said that 25 leopards have been relocated from the state to the Vantara wildlife facility in Jamnagar, operated by the Reliance Foundation.Addressing the legislative council, Naik said the state government had approached the foundation to accommodate leopards amid rising instances of human-wildlife conflict. “Twenty-five leopards have been sent to Vantara. We made the request as around 150 leopards were trapped in Pune district,” he said, adding that an agreement has been signed to translocate a total of 50 leopards to the facility.The minister highlighted a sharp rise in the state’s wildlife population, noting that leopard numbers have increased fourfold over the past decade. He also pointed out that the tiger population in Maharashtra has surged from 101 about seven to eight years ago to 444 currently.
STORY | 25 leopards relocated from Maharashtra to Gujarat's Vantara facility: Minister
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) March 24, 2026
Maharashtra’s Forest Minister Ganesh Naik has said the state government had asked Reliance Foundation to accommodate leopards at its Vantara facility in Gujarat's Jamnagar, and 25 big cats… pic.twitter.com/BFitq1F2zA
The remarks came during a discussion on amendments to the Wildlife Protection Act as applicable to Maharashtra. The amendment bill, which was passed by the Assembly last week, received approval from the legislative council on March 23, 2026.Naik explained that the amendment was necessitated by procedural hurdles under existing provisions, which require the chief wildlife warden to seek permission from the Union government for population management or translocation of big cats in cases of human-leopard conflict. He said the process is often time-consuming and delays timely scientific intervention.
Under the revised provisions, the chief wildlife warden will be empowered to take necessary steps for scientific management of leopards, including their translocation, with the approval of the state government. This is expected to streamline efforts to address increasing human-leopard encounters across regions.The minister also announced plans to develop leopard and tiger safaris in every district of the state, aimed at promoting awareness and wildlife conservation.Clarifying concerns around the amendment, Naik asserted that there is no provision allowing the killing of leopards and emphasised that conservation remains the government’s priority.
(State Correspondent)
