30 leopards dead since Jan' 10

Some news on Leopard numbers declining.

30 leopards dead since Jan' 10

NAGPUR: Tigers are on everybody's radar but what about leopards? These big cats are dying at an alarming rate and are in greater danger than the tigers. Both are listed under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act 1972 and have highest degree of protection, but there is no noise about leopard deaths even though most of them are intentionally killed. In Maharashtra alone, 30 leopards have died since January this year.

Compare this with 19 recorded tiger deaths since January 2010 in entire country. Most of these deaths have occurred unnaturally due to accidents, poisoning, poaching, drowning et al. Last year, the state had seen 48 leopards so 30 in the first few months of this year is shocking.

Of the 30 deaths, 15 have been reported from villages near Ratnagiri, Sinnar, Junnar, Jalgaon, Sanjay Gandhi National Park, Pune, Borivli, and Hingoli. Fifteen have been reported in Vidarbha. Of these, seven are reported from Chandrapur-Gadchiroli district. Three leopards were poisoned in Dhanora village near Kinwat in April. Four deaths were reported in the last 15 days in Buldana district alone. Only four of these leopards died naturally. Some deaths have been estimated from skin seizures. As the conviction rate for wildlife offences is poor, poachers have no fear of law.

AK Joshi, principal chief conservator of forests (PCCF) for wildlife, admits habitat disturbance has brought leopards closer to human beings leading to conflict. He didn't agree with arguments that leopards had multiplied because tiger population is on decline. He also denied that dwindling forest cover had anything to do with leopards deaths but lamented that people don't have a sense of belonging and responsibility towards wildlife and still do not look at killing animals as a crime.

Link - http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/c...ow/6030662.cms

I think the report is right. We are perhaps turning a blind eye to the annihilation of the leopards. These secretive and beautiful cats can survive even in degraded landscapes, which a tiger cannot. The step motherly treatment to the leopard has to end. We will be poorer without them.

The project tiger was started with the tiger as a symbol. Unfortunately, we have taken it literally and just thinking of saving a tiger without saving the forests, the prey base, contiguity of forests etc. We need to look for the root cause and solve it. Mere lip service wont help.

Apart from raising the awareness, we have to do strict enforcement as well. Our wildlife laws need to be strengthened. Unless we take a holistic view and resolve the problem, we will lose our precious biodiversity.

Sabyasachi