'Leopard task force fine, rescue centre must for full benefit'

'Injured leopards which are released into the forest cannot compete in the wild and they tend to come back for easy prey in human habitats,' I B Prabhu Gowda, DCF, Mysuru wildlife division and head of LTF, said.

Among 160 leopards rescued by the Leopard Task Force (LTF) in Mysuru circle of the forest department since it was formed in February 2023 and released into the forests, 22 had come out again and were recaptured.

I B Prabhu Gowda, DCF, Mysuru wildlife division and head of LTF, said, “A leopard rescued from Mandya range and released in Nagarahole Tiger Reserve (NTR) was the one which killed a 24-year-old man in Hunsur division on May 26”.  

Wildlife veterinarian Dr Ramesh said, “The leopards are released into the forest after micro-chipping them. The data of the microchips is digitally stored. So when we recapture the big cat, we scan the microchip and get to know from where it was rescued earlier. We had put radio collars, with GPS, to the necks of eight leopards to study their movement. Four leopards which were released at Kallahalla of NTR had gone back to the places from where they were rescued, besides one each in KR Nagar, Pandavapura of Mandya district and two in Hunsur taluk”.

Gowda said, “Around 50% of the rescued leopards were injured in snares and due to other reasons. Injured leopards which are released into the forest cannot compete in the wild and they tend to come back for easy prey in human habitats”.

Ramesh said, “With a decline in eagle population, dogs are eating leftover meat that’s disposed of by people. So the dog population is increasing. When the forest department rescues and releases the leopards in the forest, they come back to human habitats in search of easy prey like dogs and sheep as they don’t know hunting deer”. 

“We can perform birth-control surgeries to control their population if the proposal to set up a leopard rescue centre (LRC) in Mysuru is approved,” he said.

“If leopard attacks are prevented, the compensation given for each human death (Rs 20 lakh) can be saved. That amount is enough for a month to take care of 25 to 50 leopards at the LRC,” officials said. 

Malati Priya, conservator of forests, Mysuru circle, said, “Just an approval for the Rs 70 -crore LRC project in Mysuru is sufficient. Funds are not required from the government as we can manage the first phase with corporate social responsibility funds”. 

Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre is expected to discuss on establishing an LRC during his visit to Mysuru in a week, sources said.