Poaching behind 30 per cent of leopard deaths

A leopard caught inside a school on the outskirts of Bengaluru; (right) forest officials rescue a leopard near Hyderabad last year. Pics/AFP

A Total of 614 leopards died across India in 2021, with Maharashtra accounting for the most number of casualties at 178, data compiled by a non-profit has found. While about 30 per cent of the deaths were caused by poachers, 93 big cats became victims of roadkill. Conservationists say the government should plan roads and train lines keeping in the mind the movement of wild animals.

As per the data compiled by NGO Wildlife Protection Society of India, Madhya Pradesh saw 74 leopard deaths, after Maharashtra, followed by 72 in Uttarakhand.

Citing the death of 93 leopards due to vehicles and trains last year, the study said linear infrastructure poses a grave threat to wildlife. It says mitigation measures must be put in place while implementing road and rail projects passing through or close to wildlife sanctuaries, forests and national parks.

Tito Joseph, programme manager of the NGO, said, "Analysis shows that around 30 per cent of leopard deaths are the result of poaching. This can be stopped only by strict enforcement and coordination of various enforcement agencies. Another 93 leopards have died in road and train accidents, the existing guidelines must be strictly followed during infrastructure development."

Wildlife conservationist Kedar Gore from The Corbett Foundation said the deaths due to poaching are only reported data and the actual number could be much higher.

"Maharashtra accounts for almost 30 per cent leopard mortality in the country. This is very high and needs to be addressed on a priority basis."

Gore said leopards are highly adaptable and can be seen in city and village outskirts, sugarcane fields, scrub and Lantana-infested areas apart from forests. They also thrive on a variety of , including dogs, livestock and poultry, which puts them in conflict with humans quite often, he said.

"Better coordination with the government agencies to clear the garbage, neuter free-ranging dogs, providing immediate compensation for depredation, provide underpasses below roads and railway lines passing through wilderness areas, covering all open wells next to forest areas, and above all a highly efficient surveillance system of the enforcement agencies to control and prevent poaching and retaliatory killings of these majestic cats is the need of the hour," Gore said.

As per the study, there have been 120 seizures of body parts, while 62 leopards were poached. A total of 216 leopards were found dead of which 31 were killed by villagers and 9 were shot dead by forest officials following man-animal conflicts.

Sarosh Lodhi, co-founder of CLaW, an organisation dedicated to wildlife, and a conservation photographer, said, "Leopards are paying the price of being highly adaptable species. The current trends indicate leopards falling in wells, dying on roads, getting poached, etc. Year after year we see a high number of leopard mortality. If we don't have a focused approach towards saving the spotted felines, someday we will wake up to the shock of losing the vulnerable species."

Leopard deaths in 2021

Andhra Pradesh 5
Assam 10
Bihar 1
Chandigarh 1
Chhattisgarh 26
Delhi 2
Goa 1
Gujarat 18
Haryana 3
Himachal Pradesh 22
Jammu & Kashmir 22
Jharkhand 1
Karnataka 24
Kerala 2
Madhya Pradesh 74
Maharashtra 178
Odisha 6
Rajasthan 50
Tamil Nadu 17
Telangana 4
Uttar Pradesh 26
Uttarakhand 72
West Bengal 19
Total leopard deaths'614

'This number includes poaching, seizure of body parts and other mortalities

How the big cats died

Seizure & Poaching 182
Found Dead 216
Killed by villagers 31
Shot by forest officials 9
Killed in rd/train mishaps 93
Died during rescue ops/treatment 12
Killed by other animals 14
Infighting 50
Accidental electrocution 7