Leopards unable to thrive in semi-urban areas: Study

As their habitats shrink, leopards have been increasingly trying to adapt to semi-urban conditions. Wildlife conservationists had previously expressed optimism that the animals would thrive in such conditions. A new study has belied that hope.

The massive, year-long study examined the patterns of space use by leopards (Panthera pardus) across 23,902 sq km, from natural habitats such as forests, rocky outcrops to human-dominated areas such as sugarcane plantations, maize fields and other areas with little or no natural habitats, and intermediate habitats such as areas that had a mix of natural habitats and human-dominated areas.

The researchers found that the animals numbered the most in their natural habitats such as forests and rocky outcrops, where there was also the availability of wild prey - hoofed mammals weighing 20 kg or more such as chital, sambar, four-horned antelope, barking deer and wild pig.

Conservation biologist Sanjay Gubbi of the Mysuru-based group, Nature Conservation Foundation, the corresponding author of the study, explained that in terms of geographical area, it was perhaps the largest field study on leopards ever done in the country.

“The research team physically walked a distance of 2,768 km to carry out the study,” he added.

The researchers conducted “occupancy surveys,” a scientific methodology to determine where a species can be found and what factors drive their presence. Researchers split the landscape into 1,058 grids of 30 sqkm each, out of which 267 grids (or 25%) were randomly sampled. Within these, 240 signs of leopards were detected in 86 out of 267 grids.

They found that there were fewer leopards in non-irrigated agricultural lands than in natural habitats where there was also an abundance of wild prey. “Where wild prey was limited, leopard attacks on livestock and domestic dogs were more common,” Gubbi said.

The study has implications for the estimated 2,500 leopards in Karnataka which live outside protected areas, where there is a general paucity of other wildlife as well, due to infrastructural developments, mining, quarrying, plus poaching.

“If leopards are to survive outside protected areas we need to consider introducing scientifically planned zones for wildlife while designating other areas for natural resource extraction. In fact, unless we prioritise this, human-animal conflicts will increase,” Gubbi said.

Human-leopard conflict

One key finding was the leopard occupancy in human-settled areas is likely occurring at the cost of livestock, which is one of the primary causes of human-leopard conflict in India.

“Hence protecting natural, wild prey can be a key factor in reducing such conflict,” Gubbi said.

The study, titled “Every Hill has its Leopard: Patterns of Space use by Leopards (Panthera pardus) in a mixed-use landscape in India,” was published in the international journal PeerJ.