Proposed leopard rehabilitation centre gains fresh traction following Minister’s assurance 

About 94 acres of forest land has been identified to create the rehabilitation facility, which can accommodate 100 leopards. 
| Photo Credit: M.A. SRIRAM

The proposed leopard rescue and rehabilitation centre project is likely to get traction as the Minister for Forest, Ecology and Environment Eshwar B. Khandre has evinced interest in it.

The issue came up for discussion during the Minister’s interaction with Forest Department officials here on Wednesday. The genesis of the project could be traced to rise in human-leopard conflict in the State following which a team of Forest Department officials visited Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, and Maharashtra, and came up with the suggestion to create the rehabilitation centre.

A plan was also submitted to the government and it entailed creating such a facility at Yelwal at a cost of ₹70 crore and where the Forest Department has reserve forest. About 94 acres of forest land has already been identified to create the rehabilitation facility which can accommodate 100 leopards.

The project also came up for discussion before Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, when he took up issues pertaining to Mysuru region’s development with local officials, in Bengaluru some time ago.

Mr. Khandre said that he would try to get the project cleared during the Cabinet meeting slated to be held at MM Hills in February. The Cabinet will discuss issues related to Mysuru and surrounding regions and the Minister has assured that he would try to secure ₹13 crore in the first phase.