The Leopard Population Of India By Indian States

Leopard Census In India

In 2015, India got her first population count of the country’s large and elusive predator, the leopard. The census survey covered leopard habitat in and around the tiger habitats across the country with the exception of the northeast. The census gave a count of 7,910 individuals and from this figure, it was estimated that the total leopard population of India is around 12,000 to 14,000 individuals. 

The census provided the first accurate picture of the leopard population in India which was previously estimated to be anywhere around 10,000 to 45,000 individuals.

Methods Used To Count Leopards

Several methods have been adopted to count the leopards in India. Camera trapping is the primary method used to estimate the leopard population. Several other evidence of the presence of leopards like paw prints, scats, etc., have also indicated the presence of these big cats. After gathering such evidence of the presence of leopards, the numbers have been extrapolated to cover the entire forest landscape.

The Leopard Census Area

The census area included 3,50,000 square km of forested habitat along the Gangetic plains, Shivalik Hills, the Western Ghats landscape, and Central India. Even low-grade revenue forests were covered in the counting process. 

Inference From The Data

The leopard census study indicated that the leopard population in the country is quite stable and the animals are well-distributed throughout the country. The populations are also usually contiguous indicating that a healthy population exchange takes place. Unlike India’s tigers, the leopards of India are thus not subjected to isolation. The fact that leopards can survive in human-impacted forests and scrub vegetation allows them to have a greater range than the tigers of India. 

However, it must also be kept in mind that leopards cannot live in any patch of land but needs a protected area of land for their living. Hence, conservation of leopard habitat is vital for their long-term survival. 

Leopard Population By Indian State

From the data above, it can be clearly seen that Madhya Pradesh state in India houses the highest population of leopards at 1,817. Karnataka, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, and Tamil Nadu follow with leopard populations of 1,129, 905, 846, and 815, respectively. 

However, the leopard census did not cover the entire country and some parts of country like the Gujarat state and parts of the state of Rajasthan in the west. The entire northeast and some parts of east India were also left out from the census.