India, June 28 -- The Maharashtra forest department has directed forest officials to submit a detailed financial proposal for the proposed Junnar leopard safari project, signalling renewed progress for key wildlife tourism initiatives in Pune district.

The move has also revived momentum for the new Baramati safari park project, which had been stalled for over a year by regulatory hurdles.

The Central Zoo Authority (CZA) on June 19 approved three safari projects in Maharashtra - the Junnar leopard safari, the Chandrapur tiger safari and the new Baramati safari park. Following these approvals, the state government has asked concerned forest officers to submit financial proposals for fund allocation and early execution of the projects.

Th...