BHUBANESWAR: Even as four leopard hides were seized by a joint team of forest officials from Mayaurbhanj on Sunday, seizure of seven skins in the last 48 hours has exposed the sorry state of big cat conservation programme in Odisha.
Leopard population in the state thrived five years back as the head count of the big cat that stood at 318 in 2014 grew by 100 per cent to a whopping 760 in 2018. However, a string of incidents involving their killing and seizure of skins by both the forest and STF officials in the recent years, has made leopard one of the most poached animals in the state. The predator, in fact, stands second to elephant in the state in terms of poaching and revenge killing of large animals. Forest department sources reveal that at least 26 leopards were killed against 92 elephants in the state in 2022-23.
This year too, the state has reported close to a dozen of leopard killings and seizure of their hides, against 20 elephant deaths so far. Though killing of the big cat has been rampant, absence of any definite measures or protection scheme seems to have crippled the leopard conservation in Odisha. Senior forest officials too admit that the state does not have any separate conservation plan for leopards like it has been in place for other large wild animals.
“After tigers were hunted out of most habitats of the state, except for the protected areas of Similipal, leopard happens to be the next class I predator in the target of poachers,” said retired IFS officer and former field director of STR Suresh Kumar Mishra.
The fact that leopard, unlike tigers, can thrive even close to the human settlements, also makes it the most vulnerable wildlife species to get targeted by humans. Apart from revenge killing by villagers, Mishra said, leopards are also skinned because of their demand in the international market, Thailand and China in particular. He however, rued the state does not have any specific leopard conservation programme in spite of the fact that the big cat enjoys the same conservation status as enjoyed by the tiger in the Wildlife Protection Act.
“At present more number of leopard skins are being seized by the STF of Odisha Police than the forest officials. Why can’t the forest intelligence be strengthened at grassroots level?” asked Mishra. A top official from Wildlife wing also admitted that the growing demand for leopard skins and belief of the locals in forest fringe villages that the hides will fetch them high prices has led to more instances of leopard killing in the state.
PCCF (Wildlife) SK Popli, however, said that steps are being taken adequately for conservation of leopards in the state. “Though we don’t have any separate programme for leopards, all the interventions meant for tiger conservation, also apply for protection of this big cat species,” Popli said.
He said the recent decision to immune forest staff with section 197 of CrPC and strengthening of grassroot intelligence network as well as formation of the joint task force apart from other regular interventions will certainly help in cracking down on poachers and improving conservation of big cats in the state. Mishra suggested apart from awareness among villagers on big cat conservation, the ground-level intelligence network against poachers targeting leopards should be strengthened.