Leopard census: Conservationists cry foul over enumeration method

The leopard population in Kerala has seen a rise from 472 to 650 in the four years between 2014 and 2018 as per the latest census data.
Leopard (File Photo | PTI)
Leopard (File Photo | PTI)

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The leopard population in Kerala has seen a rise from 472 to 650 in the four years between 2014 and 2018 as per the latest census data. However, the forest department and wildlife conservationists are of the view that the actual number would be higher as the enumeration was carried out by piggy-backing on the tiger census, the methodology of which has been severely criticised. 

P S Easa, member of the National Board for Wildlife, said the tiger census was carried out by using camera traps in tiger corridors in Wayanad and Periyar-Parambikulam tiger reserves. So arriving at a figure based on the leopards spotted in the camera traps set up as part of tiger census is somewhat erroneous, he said. For instances, the leopards are also seen in forest fringe areas along with reserve forest, while tigers census is carried in specific locations where tigers are normally spotted, he said.

Sources in the forest department also confirmed that leopards were counted as part of the tiger census. The number captured in the leopard census is very low considering the thriving wildlife in Kerala.Dr Balasubramaniam, wildlife scientist, told TNIE that in places where the tiger population is thriving the number of leopards will be low as part of the balancing act of nature. “During the time of tiger census in Parambikulam reserve spanning over 650-sq-km, we could spot around 113 leopards. Kerala has around 9,400 sq-km reserve forest and leopard can be spotted anywhere in the forests and in areas bordering forests as it can survive by preying on dogs,” he said. 

In the Periyar tiger reserve, at least seven to eight  leopards could be seen in 100-sq-km area, while the number would be 13 to 14 in 100-sq-km area in Parambikulam, he said. The census report by the Central Government shows that the leopard population of the Western Ghats landscape was counted by dividing the landscape in four distinct blocks 

(a) The northern block contiguous with Radhanagari and Goa covering Haliyal- Kali Tiger Reserve - Karwar-Honnavar Madikeri- Kudremukh- Shettihali WLS- Bhadra-Chikmagalur.

(b) The central block covering southern Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and northern Kerala covering the forests of Virajpet- Nagarhole Bandipur- Madumalai-Satyamangalam- Nilgiri- Silent Valley- Wayanad- BRT Hills- MM Hills- Cauvery WLS- Bannerghhata NP.(c) A second central cluster covering central Kerala and Tamil Nadu comprising the Parambikulam-Anamalai-Eravikulum-Vazachal population.

(d) The southern block in southern Kerala and Tamil Nadu comprising the forests of Periyar-Kalakad Mundanthurai Kanyakumari. Leopard density was computed from 47 camera-trapped sites within this landscape. A total of 6,758 leopard photo-captures (independent) were obtained from which 1,681 adult and subadult animals were identified. The leopard population has increased in most of the tiger reserves in the Western Ghats landscape compared to previous estimates of 2014, the census data reveals.

‘Numbers unreliable’
P S Easa, member of the National Board for Wildlife, said arriving at a figure based on the leopards spotted in the camera traps set up as part of tiger census is somewhat erroneous  

Related Stories

No stories found.
The New Indian Express
www.newindianexpress.com