BHUBANESWAR: Despite an increased count of leopards in the recent census, the large-scale recovery of leopard hides has raised significant concerns about the conservation of these big cats in Odisha.
Poaching, habitat destruction, and human-leopard conflicts continue to pose serious challenges to the protection of these felines in the state.
The first All Odisha Leopard Estimation, released by the Forest Department in October last year, put the leopard count at 696 — 128 more than the previous count of 568 recorded by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) and the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) in 2022.
However, the frequent seizure of multiple leopard skins from different parts of the state has left wildlife experts and conservationists perplexed about the effectiveness of conservation efforts for these elusive cats.
At least two leopard skins—one each from Boudh and Deogarh districts—were seized this month by the Special Task Force (STF) of Odisha Police and forest officials, respectively. Three other leopard skins — one from Boudh and two from Rayagada districts — were seized in December last year.
In fact, the STF and forest authorities have seized nearly 130 leopard skins in the state over the last seven years (2018–2024), pointing to rampant poaching and inadequate enforcement measures.
Forest minister Ganesh Ram Singhkhuntia had informed the State Assembly in December 2024 that 34 leopard deaths have been recorded in the state in the last five years, of which 17 were due to poaching. The cause of death of the other leopards included electrocution, train and road accidents, disease and natural deaths. However, the arrest of seven individuals — including two from Rajasthan — in connection with a leopard skin seizure in Deogarh on January 5 this year, along with the busting of an interstate racket that led to the recovery of five leopard skins in Gajapati district in April last year, highlighted a thriving illegal trade that also poses a major threat to the survival of this threatened species in Odisha’s landscape.
Loss of natural habitat and a declining prey base have also forced leopards in buffer zones of protected areas to move closer to human settlements in search of food, where retaliatory killings have emerged as a major threat to their survival, said retired IFS officer Suresh Kumar Mishra.
However, forest officials said a growing concern for them is accidental hunting, where leopards fall victim to weapons and traps meant for smaller prey.
In several instances, leopards have been killed by local hunters engaged in bushmeat hunting. The big cats either get caught in snares or are attacked after being mistaken for other animals. In some cases, they have even been electrocuted after coming into contact with live wire traps set by hunters targeting wild boar.
The All Odisha Leopard Estimation found that around 45% of the state's leopard population is located outside protected areas, indicating a significant presence of these majestic cats in territorial forest divisions.
Although the NTCA had earlier called for improved protection measures for leopards, conservation efforts have not yielded the desired results.
Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) Wildlife Prem Kumar Jha said increased enforcement efforts in recent times have led to more detections and seizures of leopard skins.
Jha also informed that the department is taking all possible measures to prevent bushmeat hunting, which often results in the killing of leopards and other Schedule-I wildlife species in the state.
East Zone Manager of the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) Rudra Mahapatra emphasized that, in addition to the ongoing enforcement measures, the forest department should implement region-specific mitigation strategies to curb bushmeat hunting and leopard killings. “A study, if carried out, will also help the department understand how it could deal with this challenge effectively,” he suggested.