Stable leopard numbers is good news

The state of leopards in the country is stable and that is good news. The National Tiger Conservation Authority, in its fifth cycle of leopard census, has estimated that there are 13,874 individuals spread across the country. The estimation, in collaboration with the Wildlife Institute of India and state forest departments, was done in the same areas sampled in 2018 in the earlier cycle. It was done in forested habitats in 18 tiger states and covered four major tiger conservation landscapes.

The estimate should be more or less correct because scientific and modern methods were used for the count. There is a slight increase in population in Central India and the Eastern Ghats but there is a decline elsewhere. Overall, there is a 1.08% growth per year and that has brightened the hope for their conservation. Madhya Pradesh has the largest population, and Karnataka, with 1,879 leopards, has the third largest number.  

Leopards are an important part of wildlife. They have evoked fascination and have figured in fables and stories and in the lives of people who live in their proximity.

It is not unusual for leopards to stray out of their habitats, and even into urban centres like Bengaluru. Some wild animals stray out of their habitats because they have grown in numbers. But in the case of leopards, it is mostly because their habitats have shrunk and there is diminishment of food and water for various reasons.

There are incidents of conflict between leopards and communities and they pose challenges to both. According to the report, tiger reserves serve as important strongholds for leopards but measures need to be taken outside the protected areas also. 

Habitat loss, reduction in prey base, man-animal conflict, poaching, and climate change are challenges to leopards as to most other wildlife species. Encroachment of hills and wooded areas results in loss of tree cover and shrinkage of prey base and water. Animals then move either deeper into the forest, where there will be more competition with other animals, or to human habitations, where there will be conflict with humans.

The survey has provided the latest information and insights into the distribution of leopards and the needs and challenges of their conservation. Effective steps should be taken to enhance habitat protection, prevent poaching, and to avoid man-animal conflict. Collaboration between government, conservation organisations and local communities is essential to ensure that leopards, in fact all wild animals, live their lives safe and free in their territory.