Conservationists express concerns after report reveals drop in Chhattisgarh’s leopard population

Raipur, Mar 3 (PTI) Conservationists have expressed concerns and called for better wildlife management after a latest report highlighted that the estimated population of leopards in Chhattisgarh declined to 722 in 2022 from 852 in 2018.

“Status of Leopards in India 2022”, a report released by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change on February 29, has listed poaching, habitat loss, and prey depletion as major causes for the decline in the leopard population and occupancy in the state.

Raising concerns about the drop in the number of big cats, conservationists have called for measures to prevent poaching, creating awareness among people and better wildlife management.

The report is the outcome of the fifth cycle leopard population estimation, carried out by the National Tiger Conservation Authority and Wildlife Institute of India, in collaboration with state forest departments, as part of the quadrennial “monitoring of tiger, co-predators, prey and their habitat” exercise in tiger range states.

“The estimated population of leopards in Chhattisgarh is 722 in 2022, showing a decline as compared to the previous estimate of 852 in 2018,” the report stated.

Chhattisgarh has a forest cover of 55,717 sq km, which is 41.21 per cent of the state’s total area, it said.

Although leopard distribution is interconnected in Chhattisgarh, the population and occupancy can be categorised into three blocks based on the connectivity and eco-geographic zones Northern, Central and Southern Chhattisgarh.

Northern Chhattisgarh is home to Guru Ghasidas National Park-Tamor Pingla Wildlife Sanctuary, which are connected to Achanakmar Tiger Reserve through the forests of Madhya Pradesh.

Central Chhattisgarh includes Udanti Sitanadi Tiger Reserve and adjacent forest divisions along with Gomarda Wildlife Sanctuary, while the southern region houses Indravati Tiger Reserve and the territorial forests of the Bastar region, it said.

As per the report, the Achanakmar, Udanti-Sitanadi and Indravati tiger reserves have an estimated population of 76, 28 and three leopards respectively, while the number of big cats utilising these areas is 108, 52 and three respectively.

Two sites were camera trapped in Chhattisgarh that yielded 96 unique leopard individuals. Majority of the leopard population (75 per cent) are outside protected areas and concentrated in the territorial forests, it said.

Leopard density at the Achanakmar Tiger Reserve was 7.19 per 100 square km, which is not significantly different from the previous estimate of 2018, the report said.

However, Udanti Sitanadi Tiger Reserve showed a decline, it said.

Talking to PTI, deputy director of Udanti-Sitanadi tiger reserve Varun Jain said forest personnel have increased foot patrolling in the reserve to monitor wildlife and an anti-poaching team has been actively working on strengthening information networks to prevent illegal activities.

“During the 2018 leopard status assessment exercise, the reserve had 283 trap cameras locations, while in 2022, the number was reduced to 142. One of the major reasons for this decline is Left Wing Extremism in the area of the reserve that shares a border with neighbouring Odisha,” he said.

There was no tiger photograph available between 2019 and 2022 in the reserve due to the LWE menace, despite the presence of tigers there, he said.

In October 2022, trap cameras were set up in the LWE affected areas and a picture of a tiger was captured after a gap of three years, he said.

“This year, we have deployed 280 cameras and are getting pictures of leopards frequently in the ongoing camera trap exercise,” he added.

Poaching along the Chhattisgarh-Odisha border is also one of the main reasons for the decline in the number of leopards, Jain said.

“The Odisha special task force seized more than 30 leopard skins last year. We have deployed an anti-poaching team and are focusing on strengthening our network of informers. In the last one year, our anti-poaching team has arrested 120 people,” he said.

The foot patrolling has been increased from 55,000 km (2020-2022) to over 1,10,000 km (2023) to monitor wild animals and check illegal felling of trees, he said, adding the scope will be expanded further.

Bilaspur-based wildlife conservationist Mansoor Khan said live electric wires laid by villagers to poach wild boar and other small animals was one of the main reasons for leopard deaths.

“Degradation of natural forests because of illegal encroachment, and mining and agricultural conversions have forced leopards to wander near human settlements in search of prey. They survive on stray dogs and small cattle. Sometimes they are attacked and killed by villagers. Leopard sightings inside human settlements are common in Kanker, Gariaband and Mahasamund districts,” he said.

Regular patrolling and creating awareness among people towards wildlife will help deal with these problems, he added.

Wildlife activist Nitin Singhvi cited poaching as a major cause for decline in leopard numbers in the state.

“Depleting prey base inside forests has resulted in the movement of leopards near human settlements. The forest department should create a prey base for leopards in the jungles like it has done for tigers and protect them (prey base) from being poached,” he said.