MUMBAI, Nov. 15 -- As forest cover shrinks, forcing the big cats into human habitation, a series of leopard attacks has triggered panic in rural areas from Pune to Kolhapur. Maharashtra chief wildlife warden M Sreenivas Reddy says rapid leopard rescue squads are being set up to trap and take away the cats. In an interview to Yogesh Naik, Reddy, who is also principal chief conservator of forests (wildlife), said a sterilisation plan for leopards straying into sugarcane fields is also on the cards. Excerpts: Leopards have been straying into sugarcane fields for years. This is common in Junnar, Kopargaon and Ahilyanagar. They have included sugarcane fields into their habitat and are breeding there, and are preying on stray dogs and cattle. Last year, 19 people died in leopard attacks and this year, the figure is 12. There are cases of children being lifted in front of their mothers and emotions are running high. Maharashtra has 3,800 leopards in its forests. I have issued instructions to install camera traps in sugarcane fields so that leopards straying into these areas can be counted. After the cane is sowed, farmers return to the fields only during cane-cutting season. Leopards feed on stray dogs on the side lines. It is mainly from October to December that villagers are confronted by leopards. We are equipping the forest department with rapid leopard rescue teams, which will comprise at least 200 persons. In Pune alone, the collector has sanctioned Rs 11.25 crore. Twenty vehicles are being sanctioned for patrol and capture; and 500 large nets to capture leopards, 500 cameras to record leopard movements, and 500 long-range torches will be procured. We will also install 250 live cameras / solar alert systems near human settlements. They will send alerts when a leopard is detected. Leopards are adapting to the urban landscape, such as Kolhapur and Nashik. The challenge is a shortage of staff and equipment. We also need to sterilise leopards in sugarcane fields. The Government of India has permitted us to do this. It will reduce the human-tiger conflict, and tigers will grow elsewhere. We have to improve forest management and provide alternative fuel to villagers so that they don't enter forests for firewood. We have also installed AI-enabled cameras at forest boundaries, which send pictures of tigers to people as an alert. Land is given for infrastructure projects when asked for, and money is paid to raise alternative forests. Deforestation is compensated....