India, Nov. 13 -- State forest minister Ganesh Naik on Wednesday directed forest officials to eliminate leopards identified as 'man-eaters' in Pune district.

The minister said this during a public address at Pimparkhed village in Shirur, which has been at the centre of recent leopard-related incidents. Addressing the gathering, he said, "The leopard population has risen sharply in Junnar and Shirur tehsils. If this trend continues, we might soon see leopards roaming the streets like stray dogs. It's crucial to take serious measures for both population control and conflict prevention in Pune and Ahilyanagar districts."

Commenting on the recent human-leopard conflicts, Naik said, "The department is on constant alert. Recently, we eliminat...