The recently released fifth cycle of leopard population estimation revealed that Maharashtra has witnessed a notable increase in leopard numbers, rising from 1,690 in 2018 to 1,985 in 2022. This positions Maharashtra as the state with the second highest leopard population in India, trailing behind Madhya Pradesh. Maharashtra now accounts for 14 percent of the country’s population.
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Nationally, the population has shown an overall increase, rising from 12,852 in 2018 to 13,874 in the latest survey conducted in 2022. Madhya Pradesh, leading in leopard numbers, now hosts 3,907 of these big cats, marking a 12% increase since 2018. The report, unveiled by Bhupender Yadav, Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, highlights the encouraging trend in conservation efforts across various states.
Leopard Population Distribution Across Maharashtra’s Reserves
According to the report, Maharashtra is classified under the central India and eastern ghats region of India. Of the state’s total population of 1,985, the Melghat tiger reserve houses the highest population in the state at 233, followed by 148 in Tadoba, 140 in Navegaon, 135 in Sahyadri, and 102 in Pench. “The site-wise population is higher in Nagarjunasagar Srisailam, Panna, Sariska, Satpura, Melghat and Kanha Tiger Reserves.
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Optimizing Leopard Conservation Strategies: Insights from the Report
The leopard densities are higher in the tiger reserves compare to outside protected areas, despite the fact that tigers exert regulatory pressure on leopards. Efforts regarding prey recovery and protection need to be strategize and at the same time conflict resolution mechanisms need to be evaluate to timely mitigate issues of human-leopard interface,” the report stated.