India, Feb. 1 -- In about 18 months, wildlife lovers would be able to embark on a leopard safari at the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP), where the big cats would be seen living in their natural habitat.

The state forest department proposed the plan in a meeting with Mumbai suburban guardian minister Ashish Shelar on Friday. SGNP, which is spread over 103 sq km in the Mumbai suburban and Thane districts, is home to around 17 leopards currently, according to Shelar.

The national park currently organises two other big cat safaris: one for lions and the other for tigers. It currently has leopard cubs who were found in various parts of Maharashtra and brought to the park for rehabilitation. However, the cubs are kept in a secured zone, wi...