INTERNATIONAL LEOPARD DAY 2023

Latest Context

The Cape Leopard Trust (CLT), an active predator conservation working group, unveiled a new portal dedicated to leopards on International Leopard Day (May 3, 2023) to promote and celebrate leopards globally. The portal was launched at the Global Leopard Conference.

Features of Leopard

• Leopards are nocturnal, elusive creatures whose size and colouring vary according to their habitat. They are great climbers and hide in trees, where they hide their prey to avoid competition.
• Scientific Name: Panthera pardus
• Geographical Extent: Leopards are cats, and they can be found in Asia, Southern Russia, sub-Saharan Africa, and the Indian subcontinent. The leopard species known as the Indian leopard (Panthera pardus fusca) is found throughout the Indian subcontinent.
• Habitat: Leopards are highly flexible when it comes to their habitat needs and food requirements compared to other large carnivores, and they can be found in:

1. Agro-pastoral landscapes.
2. Plantations.
3. Near human habitation (both rural and urban).

• Population in India: According to the MoEF&CC report "Status of Leopards in India, 2018," there has been a "60% increase in the population count of leopards in India from 2014 estimates."

1. The estimated leopard population in 2014 was around 8,000, but it is now 12,852.
2. The largest number of leopards have been estimated in Madhya Pradesh (3,421) followed by Karnataka (1,783) and Maharashtra (1,690).

• Threat:

1. Habitat loss.
2. Poaching.
3. Human-wildlife conflict.

• Protection Status:

1. IUCN Red List: Vulnerable
2. CITES: Appendix I
3. Wildlife Protection Act 1972: Schedule I

• Human-Leopard Conflict: The Kashmir Valley's Srinagar, Assam's Brahmaputra Valley, Gujarat's Gir National Park, and southern Tamil Nadu's Kalakkad-Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve are among the places where leopard-human conflicts frequently occur.

Must Check: Best IAS Coaching In Delhi