Bhubaneswar: The recent leopard census conducted by the Odisha State Forest Department reveals a promising increase in the leopard population, now estimated at 696, a significant rise from 568 in 2022, according to the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA). This represents a 22 percent growth, although the current figure still falls short of the 760 leopards recorded in 2018.
The State Forest Department carried out its inaugural leopard census across 47 forest divisions, employing various indicators such as pugmarks, scrapes, scats, urine spray, vocalizations, and livestock depredation to evaluate leopard presence. The census report was unveiled during an event commemorating State Wildlife Week. This comprehensive state-led census utilized camera traps and exceeded the scope of previous surveys conducted by the NTCA, which focused primarily on key areas like Similipal and Satkosia. The findings revealed a significantly higher number of unique leopards.
Under the leadership of the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF), the forest department identified between 284 and 296 individual leopards, marking a substantial increase from fewer than 100 recorded in the NTCA’s prior survey. This reflects the thoroughness and success of the state-led initiative. The census highlighted substantial concentrations of leopards in specific regions of Odisha. The Mayurbhanj-Keonjhar area, including the Similipal Tiger Reserve, hosts the highest number with approximately 200 leopards. Similipal’s extensive landscape serves as a vital source population for leopards, promoting connectivity with adjacent protected areas like Hadagarh Wildlife Sanctuary and Kuldiha Wildlife Sanctuary. This connectivity fosters leopard dispersal and genetic exchange among these interconnected habitats.
The Satkosia landscape also holds promise for leopard conservation, reporting the second-highest leopard population in the state, with over 150 leopards found in the Satkosia, Athmalik, and Boudh regions. In the Hirakud wildlife division, encompassing Debrigarh Wildlife Sanctuary, officials documented 70 to 80 wild leopards in the Hirakud, Redhakhol, and Sambalpur areas of Sambalpur district. Additionally, around 40 wild leopards were noted in the Sunabeda and Khariar forest areas of Nuapada district.
Notably, 45 percent of the leopard population in Odisha resides outside the protected area network, indicating significant leopard presence in territorial forest divisions. Furthermore, the rare melanistic leopard morph was recorded in three forest divisions, as per the census report. Beginning next year, this camera trap-based All Odisha Leopard Estimation exercise will align with the annual All Odisha Tiger Estimation exercise, as announced by officials.
Despite the encouraging increase in leopard numbers, conservationists warn that poaching remains a major threat to their survival in Odisha. Leopards are often targeted for their skins, bones, and other body parts, which are highly coveted in illegal wildlife markets. The state’s dense forests, particularly in Similipal, Satkosia, and Mayurbhanj, pose challenges for monitoring and enforcing laws against poaching activities.
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