BENGALURU: Karnataka is estimated to have 2,500 leopards in both protected areas and outside of it, according to a recent study. The study was done in protected areas, reserved forests and also leopard habitats that are outside reserved forests, including rocky outcrops, private land, among others and is considered to be the first of its kind scientific estimation of leopards in the country.
The leopard population estimates and study was carried out by wildlife conservationist Sanjay Gubbi and his team from the Nature Conservation Foundation.
Camera-trapped images of 363 individually identified leopards have been submitted by NCF to the state Forest Department.Chief Wildlife Warden C Jayaram said, “This study was done under intimation to the Forest Department long before.
The leopard population is 2,500 extrapolation. They have submitted the report to the department when I was not heading the wildlife division.”
This is also perhaps the first-ever study done in the country on leopards over such a large area, says NCF. The study was done in Cauvery, MM Hills, BRT and Timalapura wildlife sanctuaries, Jayamangali Conservation Reserve and various areas in Tumakuru, Ramanagara, Mysuru, Bengaluru Urban and Rural, Bhadravati, Ballari and Chitradurga divisions.
Individual leopards were identified using the rosette patterns on their body which are unique to each individual leopard. Later, using statistical methodologies, researchers estimated both density and abundance.
Based on these results, a few regions having high density population of leopards are likely to be notified as wildlife sanctuaries. They include Bhadravati division (Kukwadi-Ubrani, Hadikere, Hanne, Rangainagiri and others) and Bukkapatna (Bukkapatna, Muttugadahalli, Suvarnavathi, and other areas) in Tumakuru division. Apart from leopards, these places have hyena, chinkara, four-horned antelopes, and others.
According to researchers, this study has thrown light on the importance of many lesser known areas for wildlife conservation in the state. They add, “This is one of the most comprehensive studies on leopards in the country that combines science, applied conservation, and outreach. Several outreach activities are also being implemented by the team including training on human-leopard conflict.”