With 1.08% Growth Every Year, Leopard Population In India Reaches 13,874

“India’s leopard population is estimated at 13,874 (range: 12,616 – 15,132) individuals, representing a stable population in comparison to the similar area being sampled in 2018 with 12852 (12,172-13,535) individuals,” the report mentioned.

This estimate represents a population of 70 percent of leopard habitat, the Himalayas and semi-arid parts of the country, which are not tiger habitats, were not sampled.

Tiger Reserves or sites with the highest leopard population are, Nagarajunasagar Srisailam (Andhra Pradesh), followed by Panna (Madhya Pradesh), and Satpura (Madhya Pradesh).

“Central India shows a stable or slightly growing population of leopards (2018: 8071, 2022: 8820), Shivalik Hills and Gangetic Plains experienced a decline (2018: 1253, 2022: 1109). If we look at the area that was sampled both in 2018 and 2022 across India, there is a 1.08 percent per annum growth,” the report mentioned.

The largest growth rate was in Central India and the Eastern Ghats at 1.5 percent, as per the report.

However, there is a 3.4 percent decline per year in the population growth of leopards in the Shivalik Hills and the Gangetic Plains.

Leopards are powerful big cats closely related to lions, tigers, and jaguars. They are facing escalating threats across their range in India.

Amidst habitat loss, human-wildlife conflict, and poaching, the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) spearheaded the fifth cycle of leopard population estimation, shedding light on the status and trends of these elusive big cats.

This cycle conducted a foot survey spanning 6,41,449 km to estimate carnivore signs and prey abundance. Camera traps were strategically placed at 32,803 locations, resulting in a total of 4,70,81,881 photographs, resulting in 85,488 photo-captures of leopards.