Recent leopard deaths included a three-to-four-year-old pregnant leopard (carrying three unborn cubs) in a road accident on the Western Express Highway near Kashimira, Mira Road last Sunday. Another leopard was killed in a road accident on Saturday near Satara on the National Highway 4 that connects Pune and Bengaluru. I will be directing local authorities to identify problem areas within their jurisdiction where mitigation measures are needed, said Kakodkar, adding, The spurt in population is causing more road and train accidents. On the main roads like Ghodbunder, there is a need for more speed breakers, signages, and similar mitigation measures that are being worked out with Sanjay Gandhi National Park forest staff. Last week, two human deaths (a father and a son) killed in leopard attacks were reported from Aurangabad and another person killed prior to that from Jalna. Earlier this year, around 20 leopards were trapped along a 12-km stretch along the Darna River (between Sinnar and Eklahare) where leopard numbers had risen significantly leading to a surge in conflict with five deaths and five serious injuries reported since December 2019. The entire sugarcane belt provides a lot of water, it provides good prey density, and due to long term harvesting, it provides a lot of security to these carnivores. It is a safe haven for leopards. That is the reason, leopard numbers have grown tremendously. The houses in this belt are not separated from the sugarcane fields. There are instances of farmers walking out of their house and being face to face with leopards leading to conflict. Apart from awareness not much is possible in these areas.