Report on Status of Leopard in India

Source-This post on Report on Status of Leopard in India is based on the article “Leopard numbers show 8% rise from 2018 to 2022” published in “The Hindu” on 29th February 2024.

Why in the News?

Recently, the Environment Ministry, in collaboration with the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) and the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), unveiled the fifth cycle of leopard population estimation in India.

Key findings of the Fifth cycle of leopard population estimation in India

1. Population Estimate:
a. India’s leopard population is estimated at 13,874, showing stability compared to the previous count. The numbers rose by 8% from 12,852 in 2018 to 13,874 in 2022.
b. However, this only covers 70% of leopard habitat, with the Himalayas and semi-arid regions not included in the survey.

2. Region-wise Trends– In Central India, the leopard population remains stable or shows slight growth, whereas in the Shivalik hills and Gangetic plains, there is a decline in population.

3. State-wise distribution:
a. The highest number of leopards were reported in Madhya Pradesh (3,907), followed by Maharashtra (1,985), Karnataka (1,879) and Tamil Nadu (1,070).
b. The tiger reserves or locations with the highest leopard populations include Nagarajunasagar Srisailam in Andhra Pradesh, followed by Panna and Satpura in Madhya Pradesh.

4. Survey Methodology– The study targeted forested habitats across 18 states with tiger populations, employing foot surveys and camera traps. It captured over 4,70,81,881 photographs, resulting in 85,488 images of leopards.

About Leopard

Habitat: In India, the leopard is found in all forest types, from tropical rainforests to temperate deciduous and alpine coniferous forests. It is also found in dry scrubs and grasslands, the only exception being deserts and the mangroves of Sundarbans.

UPSC Syllabus- Environment (Species in news)/Reports & Indices