Indian Leopards

• The Indian leopard (Panthera pardus fusca) is a majestic big cat found throughout the Indian subcontinent.
• Indian leopards are incredibly adaptable and can thrive in various habitats, including tropical rainforests, dry scrubs, grasslands, and even the foothills of the Himalayas.
• They have a golden yellow to tawny coat adorned with black rosettes.
• Indian leopards are solitary and nocturnal creatures. 
• They are excellent climbers and spend a considerable amount of time in trees, stalking prey, resting, or seeking refuge

Feeding Habits

• Indian leopards are carnivores and their diet primarily consists of medium-sized herbivores like chital, sambar deer, and langur monkeys. They may also hunt smaller prey like rodents and birds, and occasionally take livestock, especially when their natural prey is scarce.

Threats

• Habitat Loss and Fragmentation due to deforestation for agriculture, urbanization, and infrastructure projects.
• Poaching for skin and use of body parts for traditional medicines also threatens leopard populations.
• Human-Wildlife Conflicts have increased due to human settlements expanding and encroaching on leopard habitats.
• In recent years, there has been a decline in prey populations, which is impacting the survival of leopards.

Why in News?

• According to a report made public by the Environment Ministry, India’s leopard numbers rose by 8% from 12,852 in 2018 to 13,874 in 2022.

• The highest number of leopards (3,907) were reported in Madhya Pradesh Leopards.
• Only three other States reported over a 1,000 animals each — Maharashtra (1,985), Karnataka (1,879) and Tamil Nadu (1,070).
• Uttarakhand reported a 22% decline in the big cat numbers due to poaching and man-animal conflict.