Leopard Population in Odisha rises to 696: Report

Bhubaneswar: The leopard population in Odisha has shown an upward trend, with 696 big cats reported in the first All Odisha Leopard Estimation Report conducted by the state forest department.

The report, released on the occasion of the 70th Wildlife Week by Odisha Forest and Environment Minister Ganesh Ram Singh Khuntia, states that Similipal Forest has the highest population of about 200 leopards. Additionally, Satkosia, Hirakud Wildlife Division, and Debrigarh Sanctuary have considerable numbers of leopards.

The report notes an increase of 128 leopards over the past two years. In 2022, the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) and Wildlife Institute of India reported 568 leopards in Odisha.

Furthermore, the report highlights that about 45 percent of the leopard population is found outside protected areas, indicating a significant presence of the big cats in the state's territorial forest divisions.

The Odisha government conducted this leopard population estimation for the first time in May 2024 after a previous report by the NTCA indicated a decline in the state's leopard population. The NTCA report showed that Odisha's leopard population decreased from 760 in 2018 to 568 in 2022.

The All Odisha Leopard Estimation 2024 spanned across 47 forest divisions and aimed for more intensive state-level leopard monitoring.

A statewide field survey was conducted to identify leopard presence through various signs, including pugmarks, scrapes, scats, rakes, urine sprays, vocalisations, and livestock depredation.

Sites with confirmed direct or indirect evidence of leopards were monitored using camera traps to estimate the minimum number of unique adult leopards based on their distinctive rosette patterns.

Camera trap identification is a scientifically recognised method and is widely used in national leopard population assessments.

Odisha is part of the Central Indian and Eastern Ghats landscape, with forest cover accounting for 33.50 percent of the state’s total geographic area (India State of the Forest Report, 2021). The state has one national park, nineteen wildlife sanctuaries, and two conservation reserves, offering the potential to support multiple viable leopard populations.

Similipal Tiger Reserve holds the largest leopard population in Odisha. Due to its extensive size, the Similipal landscape plays a crucial role as a source population for leopards in the surrounding region. It is connected to Hadagarh and Kuldiha Wildlife Sanctuaries, facilitating the dispersal of leopards between these protected areas.

The Satkosia landscape has emerged as another promising site for leopards, boasting the second-highest population in the state. Hirakud Wildlife Division, which includes Dibrugarh Wildlife Sanctuary, is another key leopard habitat.

Forty-five percent of the leopard population in Odisha is found outside the protected area network, highlighting a significant presence in territorial forest divisions, the report says. The rare melanistic leopard morph was recorded in three forest divisions.

According to official sources, starting next year, the camera trap-based All Odisha Leopard Estimation will be synchronised with the annual All Odisha Tiger Estimation exercise. This comprehensive exercise will collect data on both big cat occupancy, prey base estimation, and assessments of vegetation structure and human disturbance in the state.