India, Oct. 20 -- More than 150 wild animals were killed and over 1,200 injured in road accidents and incidents of electrocution across six districts of Maharashtra's western ghats between January 1 and September 30, 2026; highlighting the growing risks posed by infrastructure expansion, rising traffic and unsafe fencing near forest areas. The incidents have renewed concerns over the fragmentation of wildlife corridors during Wildlife Week; as widening of ghat roads, construction, agricultural expansion, and development along forest boundaries increasingly expose animals to human activity.

According to the state forest department, the western ghats' forest belt in Maharashtra extends across Kolhapur, Sangli, Satara, Pune, Raigad and Than...