Wildlife experts have been left stunned as Maharashtra stands second in the study of leopard mortality done by the Wildlife Protection Society of India (WPSI). While the number of deaths of big cats is 106 since January this year across the country, at least 18 leopards were found dead in Maharashtra in the first two months of 2018. In March alone, three more deaths have been reported.

Nitin Desai, director of the WPSI for Central India, told Mirror, “The number is absolutely alarming and we have just compiled data from the forest department. Organised trade in leopard parts is not much and there has been no serious demand of leopard parts in the poaching market at least in India.”

Even though the number of leopards killed by poachers is six, and one was rescued from a poaching trap, wildlife conservationists feel these deaths are mostly opportunistic poaching.

Desai further explained, “Leopards are killed by poachers who set electric wire traps and clutch wires to trap and kill herbivorous animals — instead, the big cats walk into it and die. Now, when these leopards get trapped, poachers see this as an opportunity to sell their parts, like canines and claws. When we talk about leopards, the poaching market is pretty lean and there aren’t really any buyers of the skin, because this can land them in trouble. A major concern remains — the man-animal conflict which has increased manifold. Thus, it is important to sensitise people regarding the same.”

In Pune division, the number of leopard deaths recorded this year was six, including five cubs. Road kills and clashes between man and animal cost four leopards, while one injured in an accident was rescued. Forest officials feel that in times to come, there might be a rise in man-animal conflict as the human population further increases.

Ravindra Wankhade, conservator of forests for wildlife (Pune division), said, “Earlier, animals like leopards used to get a lot of open space to roam around and hunt. But now, with agricultural lands come up near forests, things have changed. As a matter of fact, humans are coming into areas that belong to wild animals — it’s not the other way round. There is a lack of sensitisation among people, and at the same time the human population is increasing constantly, expanding civilisation. Also, reckless and improper disposal of non-vegetarian and poultry waste around villages attracts these animals to the area, further increasing conflict. As far as road kills are concerned, the number of deaths that occur not only of the leopards but other wild animals is also pretty high, because in the biodiversity-sensitive areas, in spite of the boards, people do not bother to drive with caution. This leads to tragic accidents.”

Conservationists are showing their concern regarding the alarming mortality rate of the animals, and feel leopards have been widely neglected — they also believe that no one, including the government, has enough information or a proper strategy to protect this magnificent beast.

Krishna Tiwari, founder of the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) of India, said, “It is absolutely shocking to see that in merely 60-odd days this year, the number of deaths of leopards has touched 20 in Maharashtra. I strongly feel that the leopard is one animal that has never been given its due importance like the lion, and has thus been neglected. People have time and again failed to understand its importance in the ecosystem. Due to the conversion of forest land into agriculture, and with many developmental projects coming in, leopards have lost their habitat. I am sure there are plenty of cases of deaths that have also gone unreported. Such numbers clearly exhibit how this animal is in a dangerous situation — yet sadly, we do not even have enough information about the facts. People feel that leopards are seen in plenty, and so they don’t want to talk about its survival. But at this mortality rate, we might lose this species rapidly.”