VISAKHAPATNAM: The population of leopards in Andhra Pradesh has increased by 15 per cent from 492 in 2018 to 569 in 2022, according to the ‘Status of Leopards in India - 2022’ report released by the Centre on Thursday.
The study, conducted by the National Tiger Conservation Authority and Wildlife Institute of India, in collaboration with State Forest Departments, is part of the quadrennial ‘Monitoring of Tiger, Co-predators, prey and their habitat’ exercise in tiger range States.
The report highlights that while the leopard population has shown an increase in AP, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra, a decline has been observed in Odisha, Chhattisgarh and Telangana. The most significant growth rate of 1.5 per cent has been recorded in Central India and the Eastern Ghats. The report attributes much of the success in the Eastern Ghats landscape to protective steps under the umbrella of tiger conservation.
Specifically, in Andhra Pradesh, the leopard population is divided into two regions- -Rayalaseema and the Godavari basin. Rayalaseema comprises the forests of Nagarjunasagar Srisailam Tiger Reserve (NSTR), Sri Venkateswara National Park, Sri Penusila Narasimha Wildlife Sanctuary, and the territorial areas of Kadapa Forest Divisions.
Leopard signs were not observed in the Godavari basin, except for Papikonda National Park, located in the Papi hills, extending its forested habitat into Odisha.
It is worth noting that there has been a reported decline in leopard occupancy in the southern region of Papikonda National Park, while the Rayalaseema region has seen mixed occupancy changes.
The survey depended on camera trapping data conducted at Papikonda National Park and Nagarjunasagar Srisailam Tiger Reserve, along with nearby sanctuaries and territorial areas of Kadapa Forest Divisions. A total of four sites were camera trapped in Andhra Pradesh, yielding 310 recordings of unique leopard individuals.
The majority of the leopard population (69 per cent) is concentrated in Protected Areas, while 31 per cent inhabit territorial forests. The leopard density in NSTR is not significantly different from the previous estimate of 2018. However, more than 250 adult leopards were photo-captured from NSTR alone, marking the largest single population.
Human-animal conflict a major threat to leopards
The report also highlights significant threats to the leopard population in Andhra Pradesh. Human-leopard conflict, particularly around the Tirumala hills, has been noted, along with concerns about road kills caused by speeding vehicles in leopard habitat areas. The report emphasises the need for appropriate mitigation measures along roads to ensure safe passageways for leopards.
Addressing the threat, the report noted, “A significant threat to the leopard population in Andhra Pradesh is human-leopard conflict. There have been reports of leopard attacks on devotees near the Tirumala hills, where the renowned Tirupati temple is situated. Other threats, such as road kills by speeding vehicles on roads passing through leopard habitats, are major concerns in AP. Appropriate mitigation measures should be adopted on the roads to ensure safe passage for leopards.”