Context

India's leopard population has reached 13,874, with 1.08 percent per year growth between 2018 and 2022, as per a report released by the Environment Ministry.

Key Highlights

Key-highlights of the Report

• The report is based on the fifth cycle of the leopard population estimation, conducted in 2022. 
• Madhya Pradesh houses the largest population of leopards in the country: 3907 (2018: 3421), followed by Maharashtra (1985), Karnataka (1,879) and Tamil Nadu (1,070).
• Tiger Reserves or sites with the highest leopard population are, Nagarajunasagar Srisailam (Andhra Pradesh), followed by Panna (Madhya Pradesh), and Satpura (Madhya Pradesh).
• Central India shows a stable or slightly growing population of leopards (2018: 8071, 2022: 8820), Shivalik Hills and Gangetic Plains experienced a decline (2018: 1253, 2022: 1109).
  • Growth: The largest growth rate was in Central India and the Eastern Ghats at 1.5 percent.
  • Decline: However, there is a 3.4 percent decline per year in the population growth of leopards in the Shivalik Hills and the Gangetic Plains.