JOIN USMumbai's radio-collared leopards send interesting data
Two leopards – Savitri and Maharaja – who were radio-collared and released in the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) in Mumbai – have started sending interesting data on their movements, their kills and where they spend time.
On 20 February, a female leopard L115, aged around three named Savitri, was radio-collared and released on the southern area of SGNP.
On 22 February, a male leopard L 93, aged between 6-8 years named Maharaja was radio-collared on the northern periphery of the SGNP.
SGNP is the only national park in the world to be located within metropolitan limits – and is home to 45-odd leopards, making it the highest leopard density across the globe.
The data was shared by Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forest Sunil Limaye, SGNP Field Director and Chief Conservator of Forest G Mallikarjuna, senior scientist Dr Vidya Athreya and researcher Nikit Surve, both from Wildlife Conservation Society-India.
On one occasion, Savitri started at 7.30 pm in the morning and did a ‘parikrama’ of the Tulsi Lake covering a distance of 4.57 kms in 11 hours.
The study has revealed that the male leopard Maharaja walked three times from SGNP to Tungareshwar Wildlife Sanctuary (TWS) crossing the busy Chinchoti Bhiwandi highway and also Vasai-Diva railway line. He walked around 62 km in 6days where it covered 8 km during day time (7 am to 7 pm) and 54 km during night time(7 pm to 7 am).
“Maharaja only lives inside the forested landscape but has moved between two different Protected Areas – SGNP and TWS – crossing the road and railway line. Savitri uses both SGNP and Thane Territorial Division areas indicating our man-made boundaries are not relevant to the animals. Therefore any mitigation measures have to involve not only wildlife but territorial divisions as well. Both rest in the day and move in the night,” the study states.
The entire project involves radio-collaring of five leopards. While two of them were already radio-collared, the rest three would be done by the end of this year.
The SGNP-TWS-Thane Territorial Division is a green lung of Mumbai – and leopards move in the night and crossroads, railway lines and streams.
In the past, there have been several instances of leopards getting killed while crossing the busy Mumbai-Ahmedabad highway and on the roads surrounding Sanjay Gandhi National park including Thane Ghodbunder Road and also in Aarey milk Colony.