Himachal has 2 leopards every 100 sq km: Report

The Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) has submitted an extensive survey report titled “Population estimation and assessment of human and wildlife conflicts for conservation and management planning of Common Leopard and Asiatic Black Bear in Himachal Pradesh”. The report concludes that while leopards have a density of two animals per 100 square kilometre, bears account for 1.5 animals in the same area in the state.

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As per the report shared by Una Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Sushil Rana, the ZSI team has used the methodology of Spatially Explicit Capture-Recapture (SECR), a technique used for estimating the animal population density using data collected from different detectors such as microphones and or cameras installed in the forest areas on trees or at vantage points from where movement of animals can be recorded even during the night. The method is time consuming and since all animals have distinct colour bands on their fur called as rosettes, they can be singularly identified and counted.

According to the report, Himachal Pradesh has about 1,114 leopards and 835 bears. However, their density varies in different districts with bears predominantly occupying the upper reaches, while leopards living in the mid to low altitude areas of the state.

As per the report, the leopard has been found to predate on wild mammals prevalent in their habitat, but they also predate on domestic animals with the highest percentage of 21.31 per cent being sheep, 20.13 per cent goats, 9.41 per cent cattle, 3.4 per cent dogs and 2.4 per cent horses in the state. Black bear also preys mostly on small mammals in the wild, but their encounters also include predating on 22.48 percent sheep, 19.87 per cent goats, 3.4 per cent cattle and 2.35 per cent horses.

As regards the increasing conflicts of leopards and bears with humans, the report states that increasing land cover for agriculture, urbanisation and road construction has resulted in 10 per cent of the wild habitats getting shrunk during the last two decades, impacting on the quantity and quality besides fragmentation of wild habitats. Consequently, the wildlife is facing habitat loss, degradation and isolation. The trapped animals are forced to enter or pass through human habitations, increasing the chances of conflict.

The report specifies that at present, 69.15 per cent area in the state is a no-conflict zone for leopards and bear with humans, while the low, medium and high conflict zones account for 18.5 per cent, 7.83 per cent and 4.45 per cent, respectively. With humans increasingly usurping the green cover for their needs, the no-conflict zone is gradually decreasing, while the low, medium and high conflict zone areas are swelling.

The DFO said that as per the report, since Una district had an area of 1,540 sq km, there were about 30 to 34 leopards but there was no bear in the forests there. He added that the Una Forest Division had five ranges, namely Ramgarh and Kutlehar in Bangana subdivision, Bharwain in Chintpurni segment, Amb in Gagret subdivision and Una and Haroli subdivisions in Una. He added that the leopards were predominantly found in Ramgarh, Kutlehar and Bharwain forest ranges, though there had also been incidents of cats straying into other areas and moving around or within human habitations.

Rana said that the total Reserved Forest Area in Una district was 4,392 hectares, the demarcated protected forest area was 4,390 hectares and un-demarcated protected forest cover being 12,405 hectares. The main forest species on which leopards prey in Una include sambar and barking deer, while weak blue bulls or their calves also at times are devoured by leopards.