Strategy for Managing Conflict between Humans and Carnivores: The Case of Leopards (Panthera pardus Linnaeus, 1758) in Maharashtra, India
Hema Makne
*
Department of Zoology, B. Raghunath Arts, Commerce and Science College, Parbhani, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Wildlife conflict has emerged as a major conservation and socio-economic challenge in India, particularly in regions where large carnivores persist in human-dominated landscapes. The leopard (Panthera pardus Linnaeus, 1758), owing to its ecological adaptability, is frequently involved in conflict situations involving livestock depredation and occasional human injuries. Maharashtra has become one of the most prominent hotspots of human–leopard conflict due to rapid land-use.
The primary objective of this review is to synthesize and critically evaluate existing peer-reviewed literature on the drivers of human–leopard conflict in Maharashtra and to assess the effectiveness of various conflict resolution strategies employed in the region. change, agricultural intensification, and urban expansion.
The review focuses on Maharashtra, India, encompassing forested, agricultural, and peri-urban landscapes. A systematic literature review was conducted using peer-reviewed articles sourced from Web of Science, Scopus, Google Scholar, and studies published between 2011 and 2025 were screened, with emphasis on recent research (2021–2025). Peer-reviewed journal articles relevant to leopard ecology, conflict dynamics, and mitigation strategies were included. In addition to peer-reviewed literature, government reports and official documents were consulted to contextualize conflict trends, management responses, and policy frameworks.
The review indicates that habitat fragmentation, livestock depredation, and socio-cultural perceptions are key drivers of conflict. Reactive interventions such as translocation have shown limited long-term effectiveness, whereas preventive and community-based strategies—including improved livestock husbandry, compensation schemes, awareness programs, and landscape-level planning—offer more sustainable coexistence outcomes. The findings highlight the need for integrated, evidence-based management approaches that align leopard conservation goals with human well-being and development planning.
Keywords: Human–wildlife conflict, leopard, Maharashtra, coexistence, conflict mitigation, conservation policy