Sunetro Ghosal, an anthropologist and co-investigator with MfSGNP, along with Sunil Limaye, field director, SGNP, talk about challenges they face in tackling the issue of man-animal conflict in the city

Attacks on humans by leopards and a few deaths recently around the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) and nearby areas, have once again brought the man-leopard conflict in focus. Under the banner Mumbaikars for SGNP (Sanjay Gandhi National Park), a group of wildlife biologists, researchers, animal enthusiasts and forest officials has come together to educate Mumbaikars about leopards' behaviour and tell them how to co-exist with the big cat, based ontheir studies

DIPTI SONAWALA: Is it true that once a leopard kills a human, it becomes a 'man-eater'?

Vidya athreya: Attacks on humans by leopards do happen, but I would not call it `man eating'. If the animal has attacked a human, that means there is something wrong with the animal. It is either injured or stressed. At SGNP, there were several attacks on humans that were reported till 2005. The last death due to leopard attack (in the area) was reported in 2006. Thereafter, no such death was reported till July 2012, although there were many leopards living in those areas. Leopards are shy animals and avoid humans. But people don't want to see leopards in human-used landscapes. If leopards are spotted in a residential area, even if they have not done anything, residents want them to be picked up and released in another area.

TABASSUM BARNAGARWALA: When leopards are relocated, do they become aggressive enough to attack humans?

Vidya athreya: A cub lives with its mother for at least three years, that is the time they learn. Because these young leopards are separated from their mothers, they do not know how to hunt. The animal does get aggressive. When an animal is picked up and relocated to another area, it starts attacking people. Humans are a common fixture in these landscapes, especially children, who are the most vulnerable.

SMITA NAIR: You said there were no human attacks or deaths reported from 2006-2012. Have you looked at what may have triggered the human attacks and deaths in the past year, including the most recent one?

vidya athreya: I guess these attacks were by three different leopards. Because the attacks occurred in the span of a couple of weeks but in the same area. Even in the case of the recent Aarey Milk Colony incident, where a child was killed by a leopard. The animal killed the girl in the morning and was apparently sitting on the body of the child, which is strange behavior. So the animal must be stressed, injured... that is what must have triggered the attack.

SAGNIK CHOWDHURY: Are dogs the traditional prey of leopards, or is their traditional prey base dwindling?

Vidya athreya: What is 'traditional'? It is a human construct. A friend, who is doing research based on archaeology, recently told me that there is evidence that shows leopards were feeding on dogs. Leopards will take what is easy and abundant for them. If you read some of the century-old British writings and gazettes, there are mentions of leopards entering villages to take dogs. There was a leopard in Gujarat that was collared with a GPS transmitter, she was found to be tracking a barking dog by its sound from over half a kilometre and went and killed it.

DIPTI SONAWALA: Some say stray dogs and garbage in the city are the major factors that are attracting these leopards to residential areas. Is 'Mumbaikars for SGNP' trying to involve the civic agencies, such as BMC?

Sunetro ghoshal: One of the major things we are trying to do is to look at the various agencies that we can seek help from. One is the police department, as the forest department doesn't have enough personnel during rescue operations. Police can help us in managing crowds during rescue operations. We are in talks with BMC to help us in the issue of managing stray dogs and the garbage. However, no matter whatever the BMC does, residents in these areas will continue throwing garbage. Then there is the challenge of encroachers, especially in Aarey Colony and SGNP, who do not come under any jurisdiction. The idea here is to involve the police, BMC and even residents who volunteer to spread awareness.

SHUBHANGI KHAPRE: Is the lifestyle of these large cats changing gradually, especially in Mumbai, as many cases of leopards entering residential areas and housing societies are being reported?

Vidya athreya: I guess leopards have always been doing that in urban areas. They have always been coming into and around residential areas and housing societies. It's just that we come to know about it now, with CCTV cameras installed in the buildings and people circulating pictures through social media. Leopards do live near human habitats, quietly sharing space with people in villages and farmlands.

SHUBHANGI KHAPRE: Why are these leopards venturing into the concrete jungle instead of going deeper into the forest and staying in the wild?

Sunetro ghoshal: I think it is just an idea built by people that these big cats or wild animals just belong in the forest or a wild landscape, in this case, SGNP. SGNP is surrounded by human habitation on all sides. One cannot really say that these animals belong only to the park and cannot move out. As long as they are getting food, these large cats can survive in any landscape and they can avoid humans.

MAYURA JANWALKAR: What kind of precautions can people take?

Sunetro ghoshal: People must have a proper system for waste management. Children must be supervised all the time and should be accompanied whenever they go out to play, especially after dark. Housing societies must have enough lighting in and around the vicinity.

P VAIDYANATHAN IYER: Tell us something about Akole, a place where a large number of leopards were found to be living very close to human habitats? Have there been any human deaths (due to leopard attack) in that area?

Vidya athreya: I have worked in the area and it is not a unique place. There are five adult leopards and five adult hyenas living in the area of 100 sq km and there are 300 people per sq km. People are aware of these animals, they see them almost every day. Almost 85 per cent of their food was domestic animals, dogs and cats were the most preferred prey. We collared a few animals and found that they sit all day in the sugarcane fields. They move out for hunting only after dark. They had a territory of 15-20 sq km. Not a single human was attacked in this area, though there were around 20 leopards living there.

TABASSUM BARNAGARWALA: There are over 20 leopards in SGNP. Don't you think it is a small area in terms of the number of leopards?

Vidya athreya: The area may be small, but one should not look at the area, one should look at the food they get in this area. There is a lot of food in this area for them. They prey on dogs, cats, pigs and even carcasses that are thrown in Aarey Colony. If you look at this landscape from a carnivore's point of view, there is ample food they get.

P VAIDYANATHAN IYER: Do leopards also migrate?

Vidya athreya: Leopards do not migrate but they disperse. Young leopards, especially males, have to move away and find new territory of their own or the resident adult leopards will kill them. So they are known to move away 100-200 km. Also, if these adult males are picked up and dropped elsewhere, they start showing homing tendencies as they come back to their original territory. A leopard we had named 'Ajoba' (grandfather) was collared by us with a GPS transmitter and we released him at the bottom of the Malshej Ghat. Ajoba trekked the ghats and returned to SGNP in 25 days. I have no proof but I guess at some point of time, Ajoba was probably from SGNP.

SHUBHANGI KHAPRE: Have there been any instances of poaching at SGNP?

Sunil limaye: No, of late, no instances of poaching have been reported. Such problems occur only where the tribals stay. At times, poaching does happen in Nagle area near Ghodbunder Creek. Pigs are poached in that area. There is no poaching of any large carnivore.

P VAIDYANATHAN IYER: Is collaring animals with GPS transmitters beneficial? Why doesn't SGNP collar leopards?

Vidya athreya: It increases our knowledge. We know that they can avoid humans. A leopard I had collared in Akole gave delivered her cubs in sugarcane fields barely 100 metres away. She didn't do anything to anyone. No one even knew that she was there.

Sunil limaye: Hereafter, we will mostly do it. It helps us track the animal. The department is thinking about it but hasn't taken any decision yet. They will probably start in Tadoba.

(Transcribed by Dipti Sonawala & Srinath Rao)