India's Leopard Population Surges By 60 percent Between 2014 And 2018; PM Modi lauds

New Delhi, December 22: In a positive development, Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar announced India's leopard population has increased by 60 percent since the 2014 census.

 

According to the reports Status of Leopards in India 2018" India now has 12,852 leopards as compared to the previous estimate of 7910 conducted 2014. The report shows that between 2014 and 2018, the leopard population jumped up from around 8,000 to 12,852, marking an increase of about 60 percent in just four years. The authorities have mapped the leopard population by using a camera trapping methodology.

 

The highest number of leopards are concentrated in Madhya Pradesh (MP) which is home to 3,421 leopards, followed by Karnataka and Maharashtra that have 1,783 and 1,690 leopards respectively. “More than 60 percent increase in population has been recorded over the previous estimate which was conducted in 2014,” Javadekar said after releasing the report.

 

He has said that the increase in Tiger, Lion & Leopards numbers over the last few years is a testimony to the conservation efforts and of the fledgling wildlife & biodiversity of the country.

 

 

India's world record tiger survey also estimated the population of leopards and the tiger range was found a home to 12,852 (12,172-13,535) leopards. They occur in prey rich protected areas as well as multi-use forests. A total of 5,240 adult individual leopards were identified in a total of 51,337 leopard photographs using pattern recognition software. The statistical analysis estimates the leopard population at - 12,800 leopards within the tiger's range.

 

The leopard was estimated across forested habitats in tiger range areas of the country but other leopard occupied areas such as non-forested habitats (coffee and tea plantations and other land use from where leopards are known to occur), higher elevations in the Himalayas, arid landscapes, and the majority of North East landscape were not sampled and, therefore, the population estimation should be considered as a minimum number of leopards in each of the landscapes.

 

Tiger has not only served as an umbrella species but even its monitoring has helped evaluate the status of other species, like the leopard. The National Tiger Conservation Authority-Wildlife Institute of India(NTCA-WII) shall be reporting on several other species shortly.

 

Reacting to the Status of Leopards in India 2018 report, Prime Minister Narendra Modi lauded the efforts undertaken by the government towards animal conservation, following the release of the "Status of Leopard in India" report which recorded a surge in the population of leopards in the country.

 

 

"Great news! After lions and tigers, the leopard population increases. Congratulations to all those who are working towards animal conservation. We have to keep up these efforts and ensure our animals live in safe habitats," Prime Minister Modi tweeted.