When leopards become urban neighbours: How Indore is redesigning wildlife governance When leopards become urban neighbours… By Tina Khatri | Indore More than 500 human–wildlife conflict incidents and over 300 wildlife rescue operations in just three years were reported in Indore. These numbers are a wake-up call, marking a shift in how a rapidly growing urban area must govern wildlife in urbanising forest landscapes. For a single forest division, the scale is unusually high, comparable to conflict levels typically seen in far larger districts. Wildlife encounters here are no longer sporadic disruptions — they have become a persistent urban reality. Human–wildlife interaction is now a structured feature of Indore’s urban landscape. Key data at a glance Parameter Number ...
Caged no more: Madhya Pradesh leads race to register exotic pets Caged no more: Madhya Pradesh leads race to register exotic pets By Tina Khatri Indore Madhya Pradesh has outpaced all other states, becoming the first in India to complete registrations for exotic pet ownership within the stipulated timelines. Following the Wildlife (Protection) Amendment Act, 2022 , state authorities moved quickly to document species that previously thrived in a legal vacuum. Gujarat and Maharashtra followed as runners-up in the national compliance drive. Between 2011 and 2020, over 70,000 native and exotic animals were trafficked through Indian airports alone. Madhya Pradesh is recognised as a major hub and transit route for wildlife trafficking, alongside states such as West Bengal, Rajasthan, and Assam. In the Indore division, a crackdown on und...