BHUBANESWAR : Days after releasing state’s own tiger estimation report, the Odisha government hinted that it may conduct a leopard enumeration exercise to ascertain exact population of the big cats in the region.
It came a day after the Status of Leopard in India 2022 report stated that leopard population in Odisha has recorded a ‘significant’ decline. As per the report, the total number of leopards in the state stands at 568 - around 192 less than the previous count of 760 in 2018.
The decline in leopard numbers comes in the midst of an uptick in leopard poaching in the state. In the last six years, more than 100 leopard skins have been seized by multiple enforcement agencies, pointing at rampant poaching and slackened conservation and enforcement.
In fact, the Special Task Force of Crime Branch seized about 57 leopard skins between 2019 and 2024 whereas Forest department reported seizure of 59 hides during the 2018-2023 period. This indicated that the actual rate of poaching and smuggling could be higher.
The national report revealed leopard presence was not recorded in Nayagarh and Ghumsur forest divisions in the latest cycle of monitoring. In fact, leopard distribution in Odisha is now mostly concentrated in Similipal and Satkosia tiger reserves and Hirakud, Kotagarh, Khalasuni wildlife sanctuaries.The report indicated that leopard density in both Similipal and Satkosia tiger reserve has recorded a significant increase.
As many as 91 leopards were camera trapped in Similipal while 80 were captured in Satkosia. Similarly, 131 leopards were found using the Similipal tiger reserve and 111 the Satkosia TR.
The fifth cycle of leopard population estimation, carried out by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) and Wildlife Institute of India (WII), in collaboration with state forest departments, underlined that the major efforts of leopard population recovery in the state is restricted to tiger reserves.
“The state should focus on effective patrolling, prey recovery and habitat management outside these tiger reserves too as around 55 per cent leopard population has been found outside the protected area network,” the report read.
Though the state did not dispute the national leopard report, PCCF (wildlife) Susanta Nanda said the number of photo-captured leopards could be much more if more camera traps were installed. While camera traps had been used in 14 forest areas in the previous exercise, the 2022 estimation report is based on the outcome of camera traps used in three places.
“Accordingly, we have decided to conduct another leopard count exercise covering more forest network to get the exact figure,” said Nanda. He said the leopard enumeration will be carried out towards May during which the state will also take up elephant census exercise.