VIRUDHUNAGAR: Srivilliputhur Grizzled Squirrel Wildlife Sanctuary has the highest leopard density (around 21 per 100 square kilometres) in the entire Western Ghats landscape, according to a report released by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change titled 'Status of Leopards, Co-predators and Megaherbivores in India - 2018'. The report is based on an estimate of the year 2018.
According to the report, the status of leopards, sloth bears, smaller felids, wild canids, megaherbivores, and a few mustelids in tiger habitats of 20 states were estimated.
The report makes an assessment of the status of leopards based on camera trap data and occupancy surveys conducted in 2018-19 across 20 states where tigers have been spotted.
868 leopards in Tamil Nadu
Camera traps had been set up in 26,838 locations across India resulting in obtaining 34,858,623 photographs of wildlife, of which 51,777 were of leopards.
The images of 5,240 adult leopards were captured and the overall leopard population in the tiger range landscape of India has been estimated at 12,852 (Standard Error (SE) range 12,172 - 13,535) in 2018, according to the report.
Of these, camera traps were setup in 14 sites in Tamil Nadu resulting in capturing 2,017 images of 629 leopards.
The leopard population of the state has been estimated as 868 (SE : 828-908). It had been 815 leopards (SE 587-1.043) in the year 2014.
Further, Mudumalai Tiger Reserve, Mukurthi National Park, parts of Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve and Kalakad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve have been identified as supporting high density of leopards, and Srivilliputhur Grizzled Squirrel Wildlife Sanctuary had the highest leopard density (20.43 (SE : 10.02 - 31.04) in the entire Western Ghats landscape, according to the report.
3,387 leopards in Western Ghats
The report states that the Leopard density was computed from 46 camera trapped sites within the landscape of Western Ghats and a total of 6,757 leopard photo-captures were obtained, of which 1,681 adult individuals and 32 cubs were identified.
Further, the total leopard population within the landscape has been estimated at 3,387 (SE : 3,245- 3,529) in 2018, as compared to 2,487 (SE : 1,846-3,128) in 2014.
It has also been found that the landscapes connecting Parambikulam Tiger Reserve with Periyar Tiger Reserve and Kalakkad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve showed loss in leopard occupancy in 2018 compared to 2014.
Report to serve as a tool in habitat maintanence
According to a senior forest official, the report will serve as a tool to form better protection strategies to prevent any human-leopard conflicts in the region.
"This report is produced by calculating the prey population along with the camera captures, as prey population influences the population of leopard (the predator). As food abundance is correlated to the population dynamics, the high density of leopards means that the current habitat is able to support the density."
He also said that leopard density must not be confused with the number of leopards.
"Leopard density refers to the population identified in 100 square kilometres. It does not mean we have high leopard population," he said, adding that the current habitat in the Srivilliputhur sanctuary forest range is potential enough to support the population and maintaining the habitat is crucial.
The official also pointed out that the leopard density will serve as an important parameter which has to be taken into consideration to ensure that the habitat is protected properly and devise management strategies that will enrich the habitat and ensure that there will be no human-animal conflicts.
An environmentalist said that as the leopards keep themselves within the forests, there has not been any major conflicts with human population.
Estimates of leopard density parameters from the 14 camera trapping sites in Tamil Nadu
| Name of the Site | Camera Points | Density (per 100 square kms) (Standard Error) |
| Annamalai Tiger Reserve | 332 | 5.95 (0.83) |
| Coimbatore Wildlife Division | 67 | 8.35 (3.14) |
| Erode Wildlife Division | 366 | 7.39 (1.53) |
| Gudalur Wildlife Division | 106 | 13.39 (2.98) |
| Kanniyakumari Wildlife Sanctuary | 43 | Information Not Available |
| Kalakkad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve | 316 | 10.18 (1.28) |
| Kodaikanal Wildlife Sanctuary | 152 | Information Not Available |
| Meghamalai Wildlife Sanctuary | 109 | 4.06 (2.3) |
| Mudumalai Tiger Reserve | 391 | 12.11 (1.18) |
| Mukurthi National Park | 44 | 0.66 (0.41) |
| Nellai Wildlife Sanctuary | 81 | Information Not Available |
| Nilgiri Firest Division | 273 | 12.57 (1.82) |
| Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve | 707 | 7.05 (0.68) |
| Srivilliputhur Wildlife Sanctuary | 136 | 20.43 (10.51) |