Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Saturday made light of the State Forest Minister's idea to release goats into forests to stop leopards from entering human areas. He said, "Apart from big cats, villagers will also feast on this prey base." Forest Minister Ganesh Naik had suggested releasing goats worth ₹1 crore into forests. ‘‘If four people are killed by leopards, the state must pay ₹1 crore as compensation. Instead of this, release goats into the forest,’’ said Naik. Pawar explained that leopards live and breed especially in sugarcane-growing areas of Maharashtra. He added, "I have heard there are nearly 2,000 leopards in Maharashtra. In such a situation, we need to think of other measures." The government is exploring sterilisation of leopards, which will take time to show results, since sterilised leopards still need to hunt for food. Pawar said the state is working to increase rescue centre capacity and create new facilities. The districts of Ahilyanagar, Pune, and Nashik report the most leopard incidents, according to the Forest Department. Pawar also said the Vantara zoo can only accommodate up to 50 leopards, making translocation a limited option.