Bhubaneswar: While India’s overall population of large carnivore has increased, Odisha doesn’t seem to have kept pace where conservation of the leopard is concerned.
A recent study conducted by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) has revealed that leopards continue to face threats such as habitat destruction, poaching, and human-wildlife conflict in the state.
The study, sponsored by the forest department of Odisha, showed a decreasing trend in leopard and prey populations in the state, highlighting the urgent need for systematic
monitoring.
“As part of a long-term large-carnivore population monitoring project, we evaluated leopard and prey populations across key sites in the biodiversity-rich Similipal-Satkosia landscape, a fragmented forest complex with both protected and non-protected areas, to develop effective conservation strategies. We conducted systematic camera-trap surveys in Kuldiha Wildlife Sanctuary, Hadagarh Wildlife Sanctuary, Rebana Reserve Forest, and in the Satkosia and Mahanadi wildlife divisions of Satkosia Tiger Reserve (STR),” the report states.
The leopards were identified individually by their unique rosette markings. Leopard density estimates were obtained using maximum-likelihood spatially explicit capture-recapture
(SECR) models. Prey relative abundance indices (RAI) were calculated from detections per 100 trap-nights. Furthermore, leopard diet in STR was analysed via trichotaxonomic examination of medullary guard hairs from field-collected scat samples, it said.
“Leopard density and prey abundance varied significantly across the landscape. The highest leopard
densities were observed in Satkosia and Mahanadi, measuring 17.9 ± 1.75 and 11.9 ± 1.66 leopards per 100 km², respectively, aligning with higher levels of medium- and large-sized prey, which were central to the leopard diet. Conversely, medium- to large-sized ungulates, excluding wild boar, were either absent or found at low densities in Kuldiha, Hadagarh, and Rebana,” the report states.
The study revealed that leopards were functionally extinct in Kuldiha and Hadagarh, and remain at low densities in Rebana, with 2. 2 ± 0. 70 leopards per 100 km². Small-bodied prey were more prevalent throughout the study sites.
“Based on the preliminary data, our findings highlight the importance of a comprehensive, landscape-scale leopard conservation strategy. Special focus is needed on protecting prey species and
promoting population growth through supplementation efforts. Reducing human-related threats, improving monitoring in unprotected areas, and establishing functional ecological corridors are essential actions to maintain leopard populations and increase their range across this important landscape,” the report states.
Prey base is crucial for a healthy population of large carnivore in any forest range. State governments have to step in from time to time to restore prey bases in vulnerable areas.
Depleting prey also results in rising cases of human-animal conflict. While leopards are generally shy animals and prefer to maintain a distance from humans, hunger often drives them to villages in search of food.