In areas where spotted cats are black or black, wildlife experts face a long-term challenge. They need to estimate the density of leopards. Experts from three organizations (one of which is located in Aaranyak, Assam) proposed a system that can accurately estimate the leopard population in areas where rosettes and melanin individuals are mixed.
Highlights:
♦ The Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change issued the Leopard Status Report. The population of leopard has been estimated using camera trapping methods.
♦ There are 12,852 leopards in India as of 2018, an increase of 60% since 2014.
♦ It is found that the highest concentration of leopards is found in Madhya Pradesh (3,421), followed by Karnataka (1,783) and Maharashtra (1,690).
♦ Panthera pardus fusca is the Scientific name of Indian leopard and is a subspecies of leopard widely distributed on the Indian subcontinent.
♦ In the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), this leopard is classified as a “vulnerable group” because the population has decreased after habitat loss and fragmentation, which is an illegal act of poaching skin and body parts.
♦ The leopard population has increased by 60% from 2016 to 2018. The State of Madhya Pradesh has the highest number of leopards in India.
