Goemkarponn Desk
PANAJI: Increased human-animal conflict and the fast construction of unrestricted linear infrastructure have resulted in leopard deaths in Goa, where the big cat population has declined by about 10% over the last four years, from 2018 to 22.
It’s also noteworthy that about 26% of the leopard population lives outside of Goa’s protected areas. This could be attributed, in part, to habitat loss and a declining prey base, both of which require further research.
The Union Ministry for Environment, Forest, and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) released the “Status of Leopards in India” 2018–22 report on Thursday. It states that while the number of leopards in the Western Ghats has shown stability, 65% of them live outside of protected areas.
According to the report, Goa shares a contiguous 1,800 square kilometre forest cover with Karnataka’s Kali Tiger Reserve. The state connects the forests of the Western Ghats in the north and center.
The Goa Forest Department used camera traps to sample five sites for the first time as part of the All India Tiger Estimation exercise. The results produced 219 photo captures of 30 different leopards. In comparison to other regions of the State, the leopard population density is higher in the uninterrupted forest patches of Mhadei-Mollem.
According to the report, which was prepared using camera trap and covariate modeling, “the leopard population of the State was estimated to be 77 (2022), with approximately 26 per cent of the population residing outside the Protected Areas of Goa.”
“Locals frequently set snares to catch wild pigs, so it is not unusual for them to suffer injuries or lose a limb from snaring.” Leopard deaths were also caused by fast-moving trains and automobiles, which the NTCA described as “an emerging threat to the wildlife of the state due to the rapid development of unmitigated linear infrastructure.”
“Sloth bears, gaurs, and leopards frequently stray into cashew plantations near wooded areas, which increases the number of unfavorable human-animal conflicts in residential areas. Locals are concerned about the rise in leopards wandering into human settlements, the report continued.
