Context: Status of Leopards India report released by the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change (MOEFCC).
Brief About Survey
- The survey covered 20 States of India and focused on about 70% of the animals’ expected habitat, which are India’s tiger reserves and protected forest areas.
- Camera traps method was deployed.
Report Highlights
- India’s leopard numbers rose by 8% from 12,852 in 2018 to 13,874 in 2022.
- Highest number of leopards were reported in Madhya Pradesh (3,907).
- Three other States reported over 1,000 animals each — Maharashtra (1,985), Karnataka (1,879) and Tamil Nadu (1,070).
- Uttarakhand reported a 22% decline in the Leopard Population.
- Odisha has witnessed a sharp decline in its leopard population — approximately one-fourth lost — primarily due to poaching between 2018 and 2022.
- Leopard densities from both the tiger reserves (Similipal and Satkosia tiger reserves) in the State have increased significantly.
- Shivalik hills and Gangetic plains recorded a 3.4% yearly decline.
- Central India and Eastern Ghats, Western Ghats and hills of the northeast, and Brahmaputra flood plains recorded growth of 1.5%, 1%, and 1.3% per annum respectively.
- About 65% of leopard population is present outside protected areas in Shivalik landscape.
- In Uttar Pradesh, both leopard and tiger numbers have increased.
Causes for Decline
- According to the report, the biggest threats to the dwindling leopard population are poaching of prey for bush meat, targeted poaching for tiger and leopard skins and body parts.
- Habitat loss due to mining and other human activities.
- Road accidents are also a significant cause of leopard fatalities.
Need for State Action
- The State should step up efforts towards effective patrolling, prey recovery, and habitat management outside tiger reserves.
Indian Leopard
- Indian leopard is a leopard subspecies widely distributed on the Indian subcontinent.
- A leopard does not have any stripes.
- It has spots peppered on its body.
- A leopard can kill for the pleasure of killing by pouncing continuously on its prey.
- The species Panthera pardus is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List
- Leopards have survived outside protected areas in many parts of India since historical times.
| Cheetahs | Leopards |
|---|---|
| They prefer to hunt in the day | They usually hunt in nights |
| Cheetahs are the fastest land animals. They can reach speeds of up to 120 km/h (75 mph) and can accelerate from 0 to 103 km/h (64 mph) in three seconds. | Leopards, on the other hand, only reach a top speed of about 58 km/h (37 mph) but they are super climbers (as they have retractable claws) and good swimmers. |
| Cheetah is much lighter and taller | Leopards are the shortest of the big cats, although they are strong and bulky – strong enough to pull their prey up trees in order to protect their meal. |
| IUCN – Vulnerable | IUCN – Vulnerable |
See also: List of Tiger Reserves in India