149 leopards died in Madhya Pradesh in 14 months; accidents major cause

Bhopal: A total of 149 leopards died in Madhya Pradesh over the 14 months starting January last year, with accidents accounting for the highest number of fatalities, according to data provided in response to a Right to Information query.

While activist Ajay Dube, who filed the RTI application, said the figures portray a “grim reality”, the Forest Department said efforts are being made to reduce deaths. It also said that a mortality rate of four per cent was well within the accepted range for big cats.

According to the ‘Status of Leopards in India 2022’ report released in February 2024, Madhya Pradesh has the highest leopard population in the country at 3,907, followed by Maharashtra and Karnataka. The state had reported 3,421 leopards in 2018.

In its RTI reply, the department said that 149 leopards died in MP in 14 months beginning January 2025. Of these, 31 per cent of the deaths were due to road accidents. The data showed that 19 deaths occurred on highways.

Natural causes such as old age and disease accounted for 24 per cent of the deaths, while 21 per cent was due to conflicts among wildlife.

Poaching and retaliatory killings accounted for about 14 per cent of the deaths. Eight animals were electrocuted, either deliberately or accidentally, while two were killed due to snares.

In about nine per cent of the cases, the cause of death could not be ascertained.

Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (Wildlife) L Krishnamoorthy said efforts are being made to reduce leopard mortality in the state.

“We are trying to bring down mortality with a roadmap in place, keeping in mind that leopards, being small and elusive, are found across the state,” Krishnamoorthy told PTI.

The spotted animals are often found close to human habitats in large areas, he said.

The forest official said measures such as animal passages on new roads, signage and regular patrolling are being implemented to reduce fatalities.

“We are also advising against creating water sources near roads, as animals often move towards them and become vulnerable to accidents,” he added.

Another senior forest official, requesting anonymity, said that the death of 149 leopards out of around 4,000 in MP is only a 4 per cent loss.

“We expect a minimum of 10 per cent mortality within 12 months in the cat family. Even up to an annual loss of 20 per cent is acceptable given that old ones die due to multiple reasons,” he added.

Activist Dube said “record-breaking” leopard mortality in Madhya Pradesh exposes a grim reality.

“The tiger state (MP) has become a graveyard for leopards. Systematic failure to implement NTCA (National Tiger Conservation Authority) protocols and lack of safe corridors are wiping them out,” he said.

Despite accidents accounting for the highest deaths, there is zero accountability over fatalities linked to “linear infrastructure or electrocution”, he said. “NTCA and the forest department’s apathy proves leopards are a secondary priority,” he claimed.