Roads and highways have emerged as the biggest killers of leopards in ‘Leopard State’ Madhya Pradesh. Over a 14-month period between January 2025 and February 2026, as many as 149 leopards died in the state, according to data shared by the state forest department in response to a Right to Information (RTI) query. This meant that the central Indian state, also the country’s tiger and cheetah state, on an average lost one leopard every third day during the 14 months. Detailed statistics provided by the forest department to Bhopal-based wildlife activist Ajay Dubey revealed that 46 deaths, around 31% of the total 149 casualties, were caused by accidents on roads and highways, with 19 actually taking place on only the highways.
Seoni Circle in southeastern MP turned out to be the grave for the leopards, largely due to its proximity to major highways and the Pench Corridor. The significant number of deaths is concentrated in areas where highways bisect forest corridors. A significant number of road-kill was also reported near the Satpura Tiger Reserve in central MP’s Narmadapuram district, while the adjoining Chhindwara district turned out to be a hotspot for human-wildlife conflict and poaching incidents.
“A high mortality rate was also pervasive in the Ratapani Wildlife Sanctuary and Reserve, where leopards frequently cross roads, while a notable number of deaths occurred in the hilly forest patches surrounded by expanding urban and agricultural zones in the Indore and Dewas districts of western MP,” Dubey told The New Indian Express. Almost a quarter of the deaths (24%) happened due to natural causes, including old age and diseases. Intra- and interspecies conflict (territorial fights between leopards or conflict with co-predators and other wildlife species) led to 31 deaths, translating to 21% of the total fatalities. “The data suggests that territorial fight is the highest in protected areas, like Bandhavgarh, pointing towards high population density in those specific zones,” Dubey added.
Poaching and retaliation killings by humans accounted for 14% of the deaths, while the cause behind 13 deaths (9%) couldn’t be ascertained. Also, eight leopards were electrocuted, either deliberately or accidentally, while two were killed in snares.
“Electrocution and poaching are most common in the ‘buffer zones’ where forest land meets private agricultural fields,” Dubey claimed.
The Bhopal-based activist further added that a significant number of accidents occurred on linear infrastructure projects (highways and roads) cutting through forest corridors, while many deaths were reported from areas where leopards live close to human settlements, increasing the risk of electrocution and vehicle collisions. Frequent reports of electrocution emerged from the Malwa region where leopards move through agricultural fields. Farmers often use live wires to protect crops from wild boars which inadvertently kill leopards.
State’s additional principal chief conservator of forests (APCCF-Wildlife), L Krishnamoorthy said efforts are being made to reduce leopard mortality in the state. “We’re putting in place a roadmap to reduce the mortality, while particularly taking into account the fact that leopards, being small and elusive, are found across the state.”