Leopard

31 Aug 2022 Leopard

Posted at 15:13h in Daily current-affairs by khushhal chauhan 0 Comments

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News: 60 percent rise in Leopard population across the Country; India now has 12,852 leopards.

About Leopard:

The leopard ( Panthera pardus ) is the smallest species of the genus Panthera.
In India, the leopard is commonly known as “panther”.
Leopards have small round rosettes, or rose-shaped patterns, all over a generally yellow body coat colour.
The coat colour and rosettes may vary slightly under different environmental conditions across its distribution range throughout the world.
Leopard is an expert tree climber, the animal is known for carrying its prey up into trees to a safe height so that it can devour its prey at leisure
Ranges: All of the sub Saharan and North Africa, the Middle East and Asia Minor, South and Southeast Asia, and extended to the Amur Valley in the Russian Far East. Island ranges included Sri Lanka, Java, Zanzibar and Kangean.
Ranges of Leopard in India: Forested habitats in tiger range areas of the country but other leopard occupied areas such as non-forested habitats (coffee and tea plantations and other land uses from where leopards are known to occur), higher elevations in the Himalayas, arid landscapes and majority of North East landscape.
Habitats: It occurs in almost every kind of habitat, from the rainforests of the tropics to desert and temperate regions.Indian subspecies, Panthera pardus fusca, is found in all forested habitats in the country, absent only in the arid deserts and above the timberline in the Himalayas. In the Himalayas they are sympatric with snow leopards.

Reasons for loss of leopard population:

Habitat loss.
Prey depletion
Human Wild -Life Conflict: Leopards frequently occur outside protected areas in human dominated landscapes, increasing their vulnerability to conflict with humans.
Poaching.

Conservation Status of Leopard:

International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN): Vulnerable
Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES): Appendix I. Appendix I lists species that are the most endangered among CITES-listed animals and plants.
Wildlife Protection Act 1972: Schedule 1.Schedule I and part II of Schedule II provide absolute protection to threatened species. Offences under these are prescribed the highest penalties.

Outcome of the recent Leopard survey

More than 60% increase in population has been recorded: India now has 12,852 leopards as compared to the previous estimate of 7910 conducted in 2014.
The States of Madhya Pradesh(3,421), Karnataka (1,783) Maharashtra( 1,690) recorded the highest leopard estimates.
Region wise distribution: Central India and Eastern Ghats have the highest number of leopards at 8,071, Western Ghats: 3,387 leopards, Shivalik and Gangetic Plains: 1,253 leopards, Northeast hills: 141 leopards.

Sources: The Hindu Frontline; PIB; Down To Earth

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