The leopard is a member of the cat family and the smallest of the four "Big Cats” the other three being the Tiger, Lion, and Jaguar. The leopard was once bountifully distributed across eastern and southern Asia and Africa, but over the period of times its range of distribution has diminished drastically. This is largely attributed to hunting and loss of habitat. It is now partly found in parts of Africa; there are also fragmented populations of the species in Indonesia, Pakistan Sri Lanka, Malaysia, China & India... The rapid declining range and population has raised a global panic trigger and the leopard is now classified as a “Near Threatened" species.
After all the hype and hoopla the Tiger enjoyed, its time the spotlight shifts to the the smaller member of the clan, The alarming rate and which this cat has been decimated raises a lot of eyebrows The crux of the problem being the re-drawing of boundaries between men & the wild, A clear case of conflict of interest, encroachment, de-forestation and diminishing of feeder line. And above all rapid urbanization.
About me……
Leopards are versatile, opportunistic hunters, elusive, solitary and largely nocturnal. Activity level varies depending on the habitat and the type of prey that they hunt... Forest leopards are also more specialized in prey selection and exhibit seasonal differences in activity patterns Leopards are known for their ability in climbing, and have been observed resting on tree branches during the day, dragging their kills up trees and hanging them there, and descending from trees headfirst, They are powerful swimmers, although not as strong as some other big cats, such as the tiger. They are very agile, and can run at over 58 kilometers per hour leap over 6 meters They produce a number of vocalizations, including grunts, roars and growls, the territory of a male leopard may extend unto 30 kames They are very diverse in size. Males are about 30% larger than females, and weigh 30 to 90 kg. The female variant weighs a max of up to 60 kgs. The leopard has a very broad diet. They feed on a greater diversity of prey than other members of the cat family, and will eat anything. In Asia, the leopard preys on deer such as chital, as well as various Asian antelopes. Prey preference estimates in southern India showed that the most favored prey of the leopard was the chital they select their prey focusing on small herds, dense habitat, and low risk of injury, preferring prey weights of 10 to 40 kg only. Leopards must compete for food and shelter with other large predators such as lions, tigers, spotted hyenas, these animals may steal the leopard's kill or devour its young. Leopards live alongside other predators by hunting for different types of prey and by avoiding areas frequented by them. depending on the region, leopards may mate all year round gestation period lasts for 90 to 105 days Cubs are usually born in a litter of 2–4 cubs with mortality rate as high as 40- 50 % in the first year. Females give birth in a cave, boulders, hollow tree, and t to make a den. Cubs are born with closed eyes, which open four to nine days after birth. The fur of the young tends to be longer and thicker than that of adults. Their pelage is also grayer in color with less defined spots. Around three months of age, the young begin to follow the mother on hunts. At one year of age, leopard young can probably fend for themselves, but remain with the mother for 18–24 months.
Why Me ……
ü Consumerism: The ever increasing Chinese demand for animals for fulfilling their economic compulsions.
ü Visibility –There is increased value for leopard shins, claws, bones, and penises because it is getting much harder to catch tigers
ü Habitat – Unlike tigers which prefer the confines of the deep jungle, nocturnal and solitary leopards can adapt easily to a variety of landscapes, and that unfortunately includes the fringes of human settlements.
ü Conflict in interest - While poachers are responsible for supplying at least half of all leopard skins and parts to china leopards killed by farmers and landowners provide another source, As leopard habitat shrinks more of the predators are attacking livestock’s for food, and here they cross the line.
ü Man Eating - Most leopards avoid people, but humans may occasionally be targeted as prey. Most healthy leopards prefer wild prey to humans, but injured, sickly, or struggling cats with a shortage of regular prey may resort to hunting humans and become habituated to it.
ü Because of his smaller size he can conceal himself in places impossible to a tiger, his need for water is far less, and in veritable demoniac cunning and daring, coupled with the uncanny sense of self preservation and stealthy disappearance when danger threatens, he has no equal.
Some Gyan ……..
ü Leopards often take up residence in croplands and tea-gardens.
ü They do not usually attack people on the contrary they avoid them.
ü Wild cats may attack in self defense; it’s advisable to avoid provoking them.
ü Sighting of leopards in the vicinity of human habitations does not necessarily means that the animal has strayed out of his or her domain.
ü Arbitrary removal of cats could lead to increase in conflict; the space by the captured cat could be soon occupied by his peers.
ü Long term solutions should focus more on better sanitation, measures to include proper waste disposal in villages and towns to keep a check to domesticated animals like dogs, pigs etc.
ü Construction of secure and strong sheds by farmers to protect their live stocks would go a long way in avoiding stray attacks by wild cats.
The way ahead ………….
ü Training to be imparted to field staff who can handle emergencies where conflict arises between man and leopard.
ü Implanting micro chips to captured leopard to understand their movement before and after translocation.
ü Awareness campaign to avoid capture of the cat.
ü Initiating research on leopards living in human-dominated landscapes, to
ü Understand the dynamics of human-leopard conflict.
ü Frequent media interactions and conservation programs.
ü Proper handling of captured animal – Reallocation based on fitness.
ü Management of the cat should be based on systematic long term data where incidence of conflict arise – data to be analyzed for proper decision making.
ü Research based on population and abundance of leopards in conflict areas to be done on a war footing basis.
ü Separate guidelines to deal with man eating wild cats.
ü Protocols to be followed in case of leopard attack.
Message
Humans, animals and plants as science rightly says are all important elements of the environment, one upmanship by any of the three may lead to the catharsis of the environment. The destruction of forests and other habitats is causing the extinction of various plants and animals every day. We know that all species are important for maintaining ecological balance. If one is lost, the whole natural environment changes. In order to protect the environment from being spoilt, we should therefore protect our wildlife. Mankind must develop a concern for wild creatures and a determination that these wild species will not perish". We should save the earth's wild creatures to save ourselves. To be kind to animals is to be kind to mankind.
Written by - Neeshath E K
Member - Aranya Wildlife Trust
Sources - Moef website, various NGO websites.
Photo - Prashant GY
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