In a first, the Junnar forest division in Pune district of Maharashtra has launched a scientific study to control leopard fertility through immunocontraception—a non-lethal method of population management.
According to a press statement issued by forest officials, two female leopards have been administered the immunocontraceptive vaccine and safely released back into the wild.
Immunocontraception involves administering a vaccine that triggers an immune response, temporarily enabling an animal to become infertile. It is a long-term, but not permanent, protection against pregnancy. Unlike permanent sterilisation, the method offers a reversible means of controlling reproduction.
The study has received formal approval from the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) under the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972.
Cautious step to minimise conflict
Human-leopard conflict became a prominent issue during Maharashtra’s state elections in 2024, particularly in the densely farmed, sugarcane-growing areas of Pune district. In talukas such as Junnar, Ambegaon, Shirur and Khed, candidates pledged to take measures to reduce conflict if elected.
Between 2000 and 2025, leopard attacks killed 56 people in the Junnar forest division alone.
The pilot project follows a directive issued in August 2025 by Sudhir Mungantiwar, then Maharashtra’s forest minister, instructing the forest department to prepare an action plan for leopard sterilisation. In April 2026, the department selected five female leopards for observation.
The field operations are being conducted by frontline staff of the Junnar forest division, with an emphasis on safety, minimising trauma and providing veterinary care, according to the press statement. RESQ Charitable Trust, a wildlife rescue and rehabilitation organisation, is providing veterinary expertise and on-the-ground support.
The Indian Council of Medical Research in Mumbai is also participating in the study. Researchers will analyse blood samples to monitor hormonal changes and assess the vaccine’s longer-term effects on the leopards, officials said.
The pilot aims to establish whether immunocontraception is a feasible, safe and effective tool for managing leopard populations in high-density areas such as Junnar. The state forest department will monitor the animals throughout the study, the statement added.
Leopards are classified as “endangered” under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. The Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) also lists the animal under the Appendix I category, implying it is at risk of extinction.