Are big cats on the retreat?

July 14, 2016 12:00 am | Updated 05:58 am IST - MYSURU:

Officials have captured and translocated 28 leopards in Mysuru district in the past two years.— File PHOTO

Officials have captured and translocated 28 leopards in Mysuru district in the past two years.— File PHOTO

The suspected poisoning of two leopards in Omkara range of Bandipur National Park on Tuesday has put the focus on the reducing space for spotted cats and the consequent escalation of the conflict situation. It has also brought to the fore lack of awareness on leopard behaviour among the public.

“Leopards are generally very shy animals and seldom attack human beings unless provoked. They prefer to be left alone,” said Deputy Conservator of Forests V. Karikalan. However, people tend to overreact and create stressful situations for the wild cat, making it go berserk, as it happened with the leopard that entered a school in Bengaluru earlier this year.

Mr. Karikalan said that leopards, being highly adaptable to different types of terrain, can coexist in human landscapes and are found in large numbers in and around Mysuru, which provides for a contiguous habitat linking the landscape to Bandipur, Nagarahole and surrounding forests.

Recent camera trapping exercises at Chamundi Hills have indicated the presence of four or five leopards in the vicinity. But people’s tolerance levels are reducing and the leopards are on the retreat, he said.

The Forest Department (territorial division) has captured and translocated 28 leopards from the four taluks of Mysuru district in the past two years, mostly through exercises undertaken to placate locals. “Even the presence or mere sighting of a leopard is construed as a threat by the public,” he said.

Naveen Kumar, wildlife warden, Chamarajanagar, said the poisoning of the two leopards was a clear case of reduced tolerance based on unfounded fears.

BNP director Heeralal said there are plans to launch an exercise to reclaim the confidence and support of the villagers living on the forest fringes when it comes to conservation issues.

Conflict zone

Omkara range records a large number of conflict situations around Bandipur, as is evident from the number of crop compensation claims filed by locals. While there were 185 claims in 2011-12, it increased to 453 in 2012-13 and 448 in 2013-14. In 2015-16, the number was a whopping 1,294, with 31 cases pertaining to cattle kill. Though crop damage claims are mostly the result of elephant raids, cattle is killed by carnivores, mainly tigers and leopards.

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