Though the recent leopard population estimation report gave the forest department officials bragging rights for the increasing number of the spotted wildcats, it has now also left them worried. This is because the man-leopard conflict is also on the rise, just like the man-elephant conflict. Leopards adapt to human habitation very well.
According to the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC) report on the Status of Leopards in India - 2022, there are 13,874 leopards wandering in 52 tiger reserves across India, with a standard error (SE) of 1,258. The last head count in 2018 found there were 12,852 leopards, with SE of 680.
“We are happy that the leopard population is increasing. But the worry is also rising as the number of conflicts are increasing. Despite holding regular meetings with forest officials and seeking opinions from experts, little success has been seen. Cases of conflict in cities like Delhi and Bengaluru and states like Odisha and Uttar Pradesh are on the rise and so are the reports of leopard deaths and attacks on humans,” said a senior MoEFCC official. Another worry the official pointed to was the dissemination of fake news on social media. “If a leopard is spotted walking on the road in Tirupati, a few days later the same video is circulated but with a caption that it was sighted in Gujarat. This increases panic among locals, so when they actually come in contact with a leopard, they tend to stone it, hence there are casualties. More than conflict on the ground, controlling the spread of misinformation on social media has become a daunting task,” the official added.
The highest population of leopards is reported from Central India and the Eastern Ghats covering eight states — Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha and Rajasthan — 8,820 (SE 600). The Western Ghats houses the second highest 3,596 (SE 482) leopards, covering Goa, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Unlike the tiger population, where Karnataka stood second in the country, in the leopard count it stood third, with 1,879 (SE 261).
Citing the example of Karnataka, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) Subhash Malkhade said, if 1,879 leopards have been accounted for in the five tiger reserves of the state, be assured that an equal and more number of leopards are on the prowl outside the reserves. This is not limited to Karnataka but across the country.
The trend of rising numbers is good as the forest areas are not increasing. The rise in the carnivore count is an indication that the prey base is increasing. It is good for protected forests, but in urban areas it is worrisome. Leopards are highly adaptive animals; they can be living in one’s backyard without people even realising it. Improper solid waste management, especially meat waste, abandoned quarry sites, peri-urban landscapes and increasing population of street dogs in the city outskirts are ideal for leopards to prowl. Conflicts occur when people come in contact with them. Hence, citizens need to cooperate and co-exist with wildlife, Malkhade explained.
The situation in Mumbai is different. Vidya Athreya, Director and Head, Science and Conservation at the Wildlife Conservation Society-India, said, people have now learnt to coexist with leopards in Mumbai. This was achieved with the help of NGOs and experts. “We worked with volunteers who trained citizens. The forest department trained rescue teams, control rooms were set up and citizens’ training was continuously conducted. Earlier when a leopard was sighted, people would demand it be captured and relocated. Multiple studies have shown that leopards come back or land up in conflict again. So, after multiple interactions and training, now the situation in Mumbai is that when a leopard is sighted, the police work on controlling the mob, and the forest department works in tranquilising the leopard. This has worked in keeping conflicts to the minimum. From 30 attacks on people in a year till the early 2000s, now the attacks are very rare, despite the high density of leopards.”
Another expert said other states are looking at the Mumbai model for replication. This is because they lack involvement of trained experts and positive media information.