AI-enabled camera system installed at one of the leopard-affected villages in Junnar forest division
Pune: The Junnar forest division has expanded its technology-based response to human-leopard conflict, installing 50 artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled detection systems across vulnerable villages since April this year. The latest installations have taken the number of such units deployed by the division to 120, with 70 installed last year. The network covers villages across four tehsils — Junnar, Ambegaon, Shirur and Khed — that have recorded frequent leopard movement and fatalities.
In 2026, the division has recorded one leopard-related death so far, compared with eight deaths last year. The devices detect a leopard within a radius of around 100 metres and trigger an alarm. Junnar has emerged as one of the country’s prominent human-leopard conflict zones, with encounters reported around farms, settlements and routes regularly used by villagers. If a system is placed at a particular location, it won’t be helpful for other areas. You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Pune | Silver Rate in Pune | Bank Holidays in Pune | Public Holidays in Pune | Petrol Price in Pune | Diesel Price in Pune | CNG Price in Pune | LPG Price in Pune Stay updated with the latest Pune news.
“We have set up the system based on sightings of animals in the affected villages since April,” Smita Rajhans, assistant conservator of forests, Junnar division, told TOI on Tuesday. The forest department needs to think about this aspect and use a system that can cover more areas,” said a sarpanch from an affected village. Former Pimparkhed sarpanch Naresh Dhome said the technology had proved useful during periods of heightened animal movement but called for additional installations. We anticipate more such systems in the village to cover maximum areas,” he said.
Hundreds of cattle have also been killed by leopards in the division. The information is simultaneously relayed to cellphones linked to the system, including those of the village sarpanch and other key residents. They can then alert people in the vicinity and advise them against entering areas where the animal has been detected. Villagers, however, pointed out that the technology’s effectiveness depended largely on where the devices were installed. A leopard moving outside the detection zone may remain unnoticed, leaving other parts of a village without the benefit of an early warning. “It is very difficult to pinpoint the movement of a leopard. So, it is not benefiting universally or covering the entire village. Download the TOI App.
“The system has limitations, but it is useful when we witnessed unusual sightings of the animal in the village last year.
In Junnar, officials and villagers said the system’s impact will depend on expanding strategically located detection points and linking them with timely community response and forest department intervention. “Following the alert, the forest department needs to act promptly and enhance patrolling in the areas to prevent possible attacks. This is also a crucial element,” Dhome added.