Pune: The Bhimashankar Cooperative Sugar Factory, operating in the Ambegaon and Shirur regions, has taken a significant step by filing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the Mumbai High Court to address the increasing number of leopard attacks.

The PIL, seeking government action for the sterilization of leopards, was filed under the guidance of Maharashtra's Cooperation Minister and founding director of the factory, Dilip Walse Patil, and was formally announced during the factory’s annual general meeting.

The chairman of the factory, Balasaheb Bende, explained that the rising sugarcane cultivation in the factory's operational areas has inadvertently created a favorable environment for leopards.

With an increase in their population, leopards have begun venturing into human settlements in search of food, leading to a worrying rise in attacks on both livestock and humans.

"Leopards are wild animals that typically prey on domestic animals, but now they are also targeting children, women, and men, which has resulted in an increase in injuries and fatalities," Bende said.

In response to this growing threat, Bhimashankar Sugar Factory has filed the PIL in the Mumbai High Court, with Advocate Tejas Deshmukh representing the factory.

The plea urges the government to implement sterilization measures for leopards as a solution to controlling their population and curbing the attacks. Bende added that government intervention in sterilizing leopards would significantly help in reducing these dangerous encounters between humans and leopards.