Maharashtra Forest Minister Ganesh Naik on Tuesday announced a plan to address the rise in leopard attacks on humans in the state: releasing goats into forests to prevent the animals from entering human settlements in search of prey.

Naik made the statement during a calling attention motion on leopard attacks, which was discussed at the legislature’s Winter Session in Nagpur.

“If four people are killed in leopard attacks, the state must pay Rs 1 crore as compensation. So, I told officials, instead of paying compensation after deaths, release goats worth Rs 1 crore into the forest so that leopards do not venture into human habitats,” Naik said, while replying to the motion raised by NCP(SP) MLA Jitendra Awhad. A majority of such cases are concentrated in the Pune , Nashik and Ahilyanaga

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