India, March 4 -- A quiet village in Parner taluka has become the center of a growing wildlife controversy. In Vadgaon Sawtal, located in Maharashtra's Ahilyanagar district (formerly Ahmednagar), 21 leopards have reportedly been confined in small trap cages for nearly three months. Two of the big cats have already died, according to local activists, triggering urgent appeals to authorities and animal welfare groups.

Concerned citizens and wildlife defenders have now flooded People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India and state forest officials with requests for immediate intervention.

The leopards were reportedly captured during ongoing human-wildlife conflict operations in the Parner region. However, activists allege that ...