Pune: With several incidents of wild animals suffering in Pune district, officials of the Pune Forest Department has proposed to start a treatment, transit and rescue centre in Pune.

Officials of the Forest Department have suggested Mauje Kothrud and Bavdhan Khurd, Mauje Panchvati Parvati and Mauje Kusgaon Budruk for the transit centre.

The recent incident of snakes getting affected at PCMC zoos and a shortage of snakes at PCMC and Rajiv Gandhi Animal Park in Katraj has once again highlighted the need of the transit and treatment centre for animals. The Forest Department is in communication with the government to start the facility. Vivek Khandekar, Chief Conservator of Forests stressed on the need to have the facility. “After we get approval from the government we will prepare a detailed project report after which it will take a year-and-a-half for the project to be implemented,” added Khandekar.

The forest officials said the facility will take care of animals like leopards, deer, elephants, monkeys, birds and reptiles. Officials said choosing Pune to set the transit centre will help to serve and rescue the animals in a better way. The transit centre would include facilities like veterinary hospital, administrative building etc. It would take 28.31 acres of land for the facility.

Officials said the facility will help in reducing man-animal conflict.