You must have seen spike collars around the necks of dogs and livestock in the Himalayas to protect them from predators like snow leopards and leopards. To prevent human deaths or injuries caused by human-leopard conflicts in Junnar, Pune district, the forest department is not only providing tents to shepherds but also planning to supply spike collars made of engineering plastic. These collars are to be tied around a person’s neck for protection.

Junnar Forest Division’s Deputy Conservator of Forest (DCF) Amol Satpute said, “We have made collars with engineering plastic spikes which a person working in the open will have to wear around his or her neck. The collars have been made for human protection in order to increase the safety of humans and to avoid human deaths. The collars are still to be used in the field to know about its effectiveness. Junnar Forest Department has also distributed tents to the shepherds. Considering the increasing number of leopards in Junnar forest department jurisdiction, many measures like solar fences around houses, neck belts etc. are being implemented by the forest department to protect citizens from Human-leopard conflict incidents.”