Explore Business Standard
Don’t miss the latest developments in business and finance.
Leopard
Two leopard cubs were spotted in the Asola Bhatti Sanctuary recently in a fresh example of how bold efforts of conservationists and the forest and wildlife department can help several wildlife species recover in the urban jungles. Forest department officials Wednesday said the two cubs were caught on a camera trap a few days ago. A video shared by the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) on its Instagram page showed a leopard cub emerging from a burrow inside the sanctuary. Since mother felines do not travel long distances with newborns, the officials believe the sanctuary is their birthplace. An official said this is first time that a cub leopard has been spotted in the jungles of Asola since leopard sightings began a few years ago. The wildlife department and the BHNS had released a study in October, confirming the presence of eight leopards in the Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary, with enough evidence to suggest the large carnivore is making the urban forest its permanent home.
The increase in the leopards' population in two of Jaipur's forests, one of them Jhalana leopard reserve, has given rise to frequent man-animal encounters in the urban areas. The leopard count which stood at 12 in 2012 has increased to 40 in 2022, clocking an over 200 per cent growth in a decade. While the increase in population is good news for wildlife lovers, it has also raised concerns for people living nearby as the shy animal often end up entering the city. Experts insist that beefing up the prey base in the forests will help big cats keep to their natural habitats, as they often end up straying far too far away in their search of food or due to shortage of space. According to the forest department officials, Jhalana reserve has witnessed the highest growth in the population of leopards over the years because of the conservation works. The forest now has too many leopards. "According to the latest count, there are 40 leopards in both Jhalana leopard conservation and Ambagarh
Karnataka Home Minister Araga Jananendra on Thursday said imbalance in the eco system and non-availability of food in their natural habitation has led to increase in leopard attacks on humans. The Minister was responding to complaints of leopard attacks raised during the zero hour by T Narasipur JD(S) MLA Ashvin Kumar and joined by several other MLAs. The legislators said leopards by venturing into human settlements in various parts of the State are causing a havoc and in some cases even leading to loss of lives. I come from the Malnad region and animal attacks have affected us. Leopards are not getting their food in the forests. There is an imbalance, Jnanendra, who is MLA from the Tirthahalli constituency, said while responding on behalf of the government. The number of leopards has increased, but not their food, he said, as he also cautioned about leopards that have tasted human blood. Stating that there are 10-15 leopards in his taluk and there is an atmosphere of fear among t
A leopard that strayed into a manufacturing facility of a pharma company at Gaddapotharam village in Sangareddy District near here was captured and shifted to Nehru Zoological Park here. The factory workers spotted the leopard and informed the Forest Department officials who immediately swung into action. They verified the CCTV footage and identified that the animal was trapped in a false ceiling roof. A senior Forest Department official said they forced the big cat to come out of its hiding place by using pressured water and after the animal came out, it was sedated by using tranquiliser darts. The official further said the Chief Wildlife Warden would decide where to finally set the leopard free.
A leopard cub aged eight to nine months was found dead inside the Film City in Mumbai on Sunday morning, but the forest department officials ruled out any poaching attempt as all body parts of the animal were intact. The necropsy report later revealed that respiratory complications and head trauma with bleeding were the primary causes of the death, a forest official said. "On Sunday morning, the control room of the forest department received a call from the Film City located in suburban Goregaon, informing that a leopard cub was found dead near a film set. The rescue team of the forest department reached the spot and recovered the carcass," he said. The body parts of the animal were found intact, and hence the possibility of poaching was ruled out in the initial investigation, he added. The Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP), which is home to a number of leopards, is located nearby. "The carcass of the cub was sent to SGNP for necropsy to determine the cause of the death," said Pa