25 leopards relocated from Maharashtra to Gujarat's Vantara facility: Minister

Maharashtra relocates 25 leopards to Gujarat's Vantara facility amid rising leopard and tiger populations, says Forest Minister Naik.

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 have already been relocated there.

The population of leopards has risen four times in 10 years. The State, which had 101 tigers seven-eight years back, now has 444, Mr. Naik said in the legislative council on Monday while speaking on the amendment of the Wildlife Protection Act as applied to Maharashtra.

The amendment bill was passed by the Assembly last week and cleared by the council on Monday (March 23, 2026).

"Twenty-five leopards have been sent to Vantara. We made a demand (to take the leopards) because 150 leopards were trapped in Pune district," Mr. Naik said. The state government has signed an agreement to translocate 50 leopards to Vantara.

The Wildlife Protection Act amendment has been brought because the chief wildlife warden, in cases of human-leopard conflict, cannot take steps for population management or translocation of big cats under section 12 without permission from the Union government.

This highly regulated, cumbersome process is time-consuming and delays effective scientific management and translocation of leopards, as well as efforts to deal with human-leopard conflict in the state, Mr. Naik said.