Himachal: Forest Dept starts survey to ascertain number of leopards

Pratibha Chauhan

Shimla, December 4

With rise in attacks by leopards during the winter months, the wildlife wing of the Forest Department has started a survey with the help of experts from Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata, to assess their population.

Even though population estimation of leopards has been undertaken in the past this is the first time that this exercise is being done holistically and scientifically.

“We have roped in Zoological Survey of India to install trap cameras in which images of the leopards are being recorded. It is by April 2023 that the process of collecting images through trap cameras will be complete,” revealed Rajiv Kumar, Principal Chief Conservator Forest (Wildlife).

He said the exhaustive process of population estimation began with the training of the field staff. “We prepared grids of 5 kms each to identify the hotspots which had a higher concentration of leopards,” said Rajiv Kumar.

The direct and indirect evidence of the animals’ presence was collected by way of droppings and pug marks. It is after de-duplication of the entire data, checking rosette markings and corroborating camera trapping images that the department will arrive at a figure of the total number of leopards, he added.

It was in June, 2004, that a survey had been undertaken to assess the leopard population in the state which turned out to be 785.

This number included the 24 animals in captivity at the Rescue Centre here in Tuti Kandi. As per this survey, the snow leopard population estimation stood at 35.

During winter months there are several incidents of attacks by leopards as the predators move down from higher reaches to inhabited areas in search of food. They normally make dogs and cattle their prey but there have been occasions when they have attacked human beings. It was only last week that a Nepalese youth, returning home from work at a hotel, was attacked by a leopard in the Jakhu area of the state capital.

Experts from a renowned NGO headed by Vidya Athreya, a wildlife biologist who has vast experience in tackling problems related to leopards, had been assigned the task of mapping the leopard population in Himachal in 2014.

Based on the outcome of this mapping, the government had worked out a strategy for reducing the increasing man-animal conflict. The department had also undertaken behaviour study pattern of leopards in the state capital to help analyse their behavior and movement.