Over three generations, leopard count drops 25%
Aksheev Thakur
New Delhi, July 18
The population of Indian leopard may have declined by nearly one-fourth over the past three generations owing to fragmentation of forest areas and illegal poaching, says an assessment by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
4 poached per week over past 10 years
- Four leopards poached every week over the past 10 years as part of illegal wildlife trade, says an assessment by the International Union for Conservation of Nature
- Steady drop in wild prey such as dogs and pigs in forest areas is impacting leopard numbers, indicating its population may decline further in the coming years
- India is home to 13,874 leopards; Forest Ministry’s recent report pointed to a drop in their numbers from 1,253 in 2018 to 1,109 in 2022 in Shivaliks and Gangetic Plains
“The decline (by 24.5%) is suspected from range loss and inferred based on actual or potential levels of exploitation. Nevertheless, the data on population size and trend of the Indian leopard population across its whole range is still poor. Poaching for wildlife trade is still a threat to the Indian leopard. For instance, it is estimated that four leopards per week have been poached as part of illegal wildlife trade over the previous 10 years,” it says.
Further, a steady decrease in wild prey such as dogs, pigs, etc. in the forest areas is negatively impacting leopard numbers, indicating its population may decline further.
The IUCN also flags conflicts of leopards in human habitats. There are increasing instances of leopards straying into residential areas in search of food.
“There are increasing instances of leopard straying into human habitats. The reason is the availability of prey such as wild dogs, pigs…. Leopards come to the city to feed on dogs. So it is natural when the forest cover is lost, they will stray into human habitats and therefore there will be increasing instances of man-animal conflict. There have been cases when leopards are killed by people and the post-mortem has revealed they were hungry,” says BK Singh, a former IFS officer.
A Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change report earlier this year pointed to a worrying 3.4 per cent per annum decline in its numbers — from 1,253 in 2018 to 1,109 in 2022 — in Shivalik Hills and Gangetic Plains. India currently has 13,874 leopards, say officials in the ministry. The Indian leopard is also found in Nepal and parts of Bhutan. Globally, too, their population is on the decline. There has been a substantial fall in the number of leopards in West Asia, East and South-East Asia, besides parts of Central and East Africa.
The causes include fragmentation of forest, bushmeat trade, illegal harvest for skin and human-wildlife conflict and retaliation for livestock depredation. In Iran, farmers kill leopards to protect their livestock, says the IUCN.
Leopards have not been documented in North Africa and likely remain extinct.
“Targeted poaching for wildlife trade and snaring for bushmeat remain the greatest factors contributing to the recent range collapse of leopards in South-East Asia. Leopard parts are used as substitutes for tiger parts for medicinal purposes in China and South-East Asia, and leopard skin is highly sought after as a luxury item,” the assessment adds.
