A leopard in Mumbai.
Credit: Special Arrangement
Mumbai: In what comes as big news and a great conservation story, as many as 54 leopards have been documented in the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP), which is considered the green lung of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR).
The SGNP and its neighbouring landscape thus account for the highest leopard density in the world.
The survey, conducted between February and June 2024, spanned the SGNP, Aarey Milk Colony in Mumbai, and the Tungareshwar Wildlife Sanctuary (TWLS) in Vasai.
The Maharashtra Forest Department (MFD), WeWork India Management Ltd, and Wildlife Conservation Society–India have funded and supported the project.
“A large-scale camera-trap survey has revealed a thriving population of leopards in Mumbai’s SGNP and adjoining landscapes, capturing a minimum of 54 unique individual leopards — reaffirming the city’s extraordinary story of coexistence between humans and big cats,” said Anita Patil, Conservator of Forest and Director, SGNP.
As part of the project, teams deployed camera traps at 57 locations in SGNP and 33 locations in TWLS.
MFD staff were closely involved throughout, with specialised training sessions conducted to build their capacity in wildlife monitoring.
In SGNP and Aarey Milk Colony, 54 individual leopards were identified, including 36 females, 16 males, and 2 undetermined individuals. Four leopard cubs were documented during the survey.
In TWLS, three adult male leopards were identified.
Remarkably, three female leopards first photo-captured in 2015 were re-captured again in 2024, demonstrating over nine years of survival within SGNP.
During the exercise, a significant incident highlighted the challenges faced by Mumbai’s leopards in navigating an increasingly urbanised landscape. A male leopard, initially photographed inside TWLS, travelled approximately 9 kilometres across dense human settlements, major highways, and railway lines to reach Vasai Fort — a testament to the adaptability and resilience of these big cats.
"The continued presence of these magnificent leopards in such a densely populated urban region speaks volumes about nature’s resilience — and the importance of conserving the green spaces they depend on. Scientific monitoring exercises like this are vital for understanding the status of our wildlife and planning informed conservation actions,” said Patil.
Camera traps also recorded a rich diversity of mammals including chital, sambar, jungle cats, and palm civets, and rare finds like mouse deer and rusty-spotted cats.
It may be mentioned, in 2015, a survey documented 35 leopards, while in 2017, around 40 were documented and in 2022 around 45.
While the SGNP is spread over 103 sq kms, the TWLS is spread over 85 sq kms.
The SGNP and its landscape spread in Mumbai and neighbouring districts of Thane and Palghar is very important for the financial capital of India.