The Hindu : New Delhi News : Number of leopards goes up in Himachal

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Jul 19, 2004

New Delhi

New Delhi

Number of leopards goes up in Himachal

SHIMLA, JULY 18. The leopard population in Himachal Pradesh has registered an almost 20 per cent increase with their number going up from 650 to 783, according to the latest census of the Wildlife Department here.

The census was undertaken simultaneously in the 37 territorial units, three wildlife divisions and the two national parks on June 16 to avoid duplication.

Authorities said the figure of 972 leopards given by the Wildlife Department after the 1997 census has lots of duplication while the actual number is about 650.

Snow leopards have registered a marginal increase from 32 to 35, in the Great Himalayan National Park and Pin Valley as per the preliminary analysis of the census. The highest concentration of leopards is in Mandi district placed at 222.

``As compared to other parts of the State, the increase in Mandi has been almost 30 per cent as during the last census, their number was much less,'' according to A.K. Gulati, Additional Principal Chief Conservator (Wildlife).

Apart from the census figure of 783, there are 24 leopards in various zoos in the State. In Chamba district too, the number of leopards has gone up from 113 in 1997 to 141. Another area that has registered a high increase in leopard population is the Rajgarh-Renuka-Poanta belt in Sirmour district where their number has risen from 30 to 58. In the Dharamshala forest division, the number of leopards has gone down marginally from 110 to 107.

The number of leopards in the State has gone up from 199 in 1984 to 533 in 19889 and to 783 in this year's census.

Mr. Gultai said the figures are not 100 per cent accurate as the field staff has either recorded the animal on direct sighting or indirect evidence as per the information given by villagers and local inhabitants. "Though we have based the figure on a number of indicators like sighting by villagers, pugmarks or scratch marks on tree trunks left by leopards, the chances of duplication cannot be ruled out completely,'' Mr Gulati said.

Wildlife officials who are scanning the data received from all over the State are trying to work out the gender ratio to see if it has changed. --UNI

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