Leopard habitats and wild prey base outside protected areas eroding: Study
12th October, 2020
Context: Quarrying outside protected areas is a major threat to leopard habitat.
Survey also shows that natural habitats such as forests and rocky outcrops, and presence of large wild prey are extremely important for leopard presence
Gradual erosion of large wild prey outside protected areas (PAs) has forced leopards to switch to livestock adding to human-leopard conflict across the States.
The loss of prey base is due to poaching, habitat destruction (outside protected areas) and disturbance due to mining, quarrying, linear projects.
Protecting natural wild prey can be a key factor in reducing human-leopard conflict.
Depletion of wild prey base such as spotted deer, sambar and other wild animals and forcing leopards to target livestock
Many leopard habitats outside the protected areas face severe threat from quarrying, mining, infrastructure development, and loss of wild prey to poaching.
“If leopards are to survive outside protected areas, there is a need to scientifically assessed zoning where some areas have to be prioritized for leopard conservation.
Despite leopards being widespread and their numbers being reasonably high in the country, there is severe lack of scientific data on their distribution and population especially outside protected areas.
The highest presence of leopards was found in grids that have natural habitats and consisted of large wild prey such as chital, sambar, four-horned antelope, barking deer, wild pig and others.
Leopard
It is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List because leopard populations are threatened by habitat loss and fragmentation, and are declining in large parts of the global range.
Leopards are hunted illegally, and their body parts are smuggled in the wildlife trade for medicinal practices and decoration.