The Wildlife Institute of India (WII) has experimented for the first time in India with a camera collar to capture the rare footage of the elusive leopard world in one of the man-animal conflict zones of Junnar in Maharashtra. A team led by Dehradun-based WII’s scientist Bilal Habib, installed a collar camera on a leopard some time back.
Speaking with News18, Bilal said the video footage collected from the camera collar will provide a glimpse into the world of leopards, active in the sugarcane belt of Junnar region of Maharashtra.
“We have video footage that was recorded by the camera collar over a period of the last three months. We will analyse the data (that will be helpful to understand the behaviour of leopards),” he said.
Bilal revealed the project on X, saying, “For the first time in India, a camera collar has captured the world through the eyes of a wild leopard. Deployed as part of a research initiative, this groundbreaking footage offers an intimate glimpse into the life and landscape of one of India’s most elusive big cats. A remarkable step forward in blending science, technology, and conservation for deeper understanding and coexistence (sic).”
“We have video footage that was recorded by the camera collar over a period of the last three months. We will analyse the data (that will be helpful to understand the behaviour of leopards),” he said.
Bilal revealed the project on X, saying, “For the first time in India, a camera collar has captured the world through the eyes of a wild leopard. Deployed as part of a research initiative, this groundbreaking footage offers an intimate glimpse into the life and landscape of one of India’s most elusive big cats. A remarkable step forward in blending science, technology, and conservation for deeper understanding and coexistence (sic).”
For the first time in India, a camera collar has captured the world through the eyes of a wild leopard.
Deployed as part of a research initiative, this groundbreaking footage offers an intimate glimpse into the life and landscape of one of India’s most elusive big cats. A… pic.twitter.com/1BgMDbNFh7— Bilal Habib (@wildwithwolves) April 10, 2025
Junnar, located around 90 km from Pune city, has often hit headlines for intense man-leopard conflict. Junnar is predominantly a sugarcane belt offering a perfect hideout to the leopards. Moreover, the availability of easy prey — livestock of the farmers — attracts big cats near village homes. Last year, seven human lives were lost in just eights months between March and October.
Meanwhile, a team from WII, working in the area since 2019, has analysed the behaviour of the big cats. Besides, the forest department took measures like putting solar fencing near homes to mitigate the problem.
