Context:

• India’s leopard population rose by 8% from 12,852 in 2018 to 13,874 in 2022, according to a report made public by the Environment Ministry.

Fifth Estimation Cycle Reveals India’s Leopard Population Soars to 3,907

• The highest number of leopards were reported in Madhya Pradesh (3,907).
• Involved Organisations: The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) and Wildlife Institute of India (WII), along with State Forest Departments, estimated the leopard population for the fifth cycle.
• Coverage of the survey: Leopard Population concentrated on roughly 70% of the animals’ predicted habitat and encompassed 18 states in India. The estimation covered the main areas for tiger conservation—forested habitats—within 18 tiger states. High Himalayan and non-forested areas were not included.
• Methods used: 85,488 photos of leopards were taken using camera traps at 32,803 places and a thorough foot survey covering 6,41,449 km. These photos offer important information on the distribution and abundance of leopards.

Leopard Population in India: Stable Overall, Varied Trends Across States, and Conservation Challenges

• Population Estimate: 13,874 leopards are thought to exist in India, a stable number when compared to the 2018 estimate. 
  • Remarkably, this estimate encompasses 70% of the habitat used by leopards; it does not include locations like the Himalayas or semi-arid areas.
• Geographical  Trends: The population of Central India is constant or slightly increasing, although areas such as the Shivalik hills and Gangetic plains are declining. 
  • The selected areas are growing at a rate of 1.08% annually overall.
• Distribution by State: With 3907 (2018: 3421) leopards, Madhya Pradesh has the highest population in the nation. It is followed by Maharashtra (2022: 1985; 2018: 1,690), Karnataka (2022: 1,879; 2018: 1,783), and Tamil Nadu (2022: 1,070; 2018: 868).
• Environment: The tiger reserves or locations with the greatest concentration of leopards are Satpura (AP), Panna (MP), and Nagarjunasagar Srisailam (AP).
• Declining Population: Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, and West Bengal recorded a combined 150% increase to 349 large cats, whereas Uttarakhand reported a 22% fall in big cat numbers, presumably due to poaching and man-animal conflict.

News Source: The Hindu