E-Paper
Forest dept to source leopard birth control drug from abroad
According to officials, only female leopards in their prime breeding years will be selected after medical screening
Following final approval from the Centre on November 17, the Maharashtra Forest Department has initiated detailed planning for a pilot leopard birth control programme in Junnar, one of the state’s most human–wildlife conflict–affected areas. However, officials noted that the contraceptive drug required for the initiative is not manufactured in India and will need to be sourced internationally, creating logistical and regulatory hurdles.
To be carried out on an experimental basis by the Junnar Forest Division, the project marks India’s first attempt to regulate wild leopard populations through non-lethal and non-surgical methods. As part of the initial preparations, forest officials have begun shortlisting female leopards suitable for inclusion in the programme.
According to officials, only female leopards in their prime breeding years will be selected after medical screening.
“Female leopards between three and five years of age will be chosen following blood tests and necessary health check-ups. These animals will be recently captured from the field to allow accurate monitoring before and after the intervention,” said Smita Rajhans, assistant conservator of forests, Junnar Forest Division.
The pilot comes amid a sharp rise in human–leopard conflict in western Maharashtra, especially in Pune, Nashik, and Ahilyanagar, where at least 20 people have died since April this year. Junnar, with its mix of forests, sugarcane fields, and expanding settlements, has become a hotspot for such conflicts.
The Maharashtra Forest Department first submitted the proposal to the Union Environment Ministry in January 2024. After clarifications in March and a revised submission in June, it was sent to the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) in December 2024 for scientific evaluation. WII, which studied leopard behaviour in Junnar from 2020 to 2024, assessed the feasibility of fertility control and recommended approval, which was granted in November 2025.
The pilot will treat five female leopards with immunocontraception, a non-surgical, reversible vaccine-based method that blocks key reproductive processes, preventing pregnancy without harming or permanently sterilising the animals. Officials said it is more humane than traditional population-control measures.
Chief conservator of forests, Pune Forest Circle, Ashish Thakare, said the department would proceed with extreme caution given the lack of precedent. “The Junnar project is probably the first of its kind in the world for wild leopards. While fertility control has been used in other species, there is no proven scientific record for big cats, especially wild carnivores like leopards. We therefore need to move very carefully,” he said.
Thakare added that detailed standard operating procedures are being prepared at the state level, covering animal selection, drug administration and post-treatment monitoring. “The biggest challenge now is that the immunocontraceptive drug is not available in India and will have to be imported,” he said.
Wildlife immunocontraception relies on vaccines such as porcine zona pellucida (PZP) or GnRH-based formulations like GonaCon, neither of which is produced in India. Officials said the drugs will require wildlife-specific regulatory approvals and strict cold-chain arrangements for storage and transport. Given the project’s experimental nature, the Centre has appointed chief conservator of forests Jitendra Ramgaonkar as principal investigator to oversee the trial and ensure compliance with government conditions.
Officials cautioned that the programme is unlikely to be rolled out immediately.
“This is not a quick-fix solution,” an official said, adding that the department would proceed only after ensuring the intervention does not pose unintended risks to the animals or the ecosystem.
