Odisha rejects NTCA report on leopard count, to conduct survey in May

Not convinced about the count in Odisha, Odisha Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Wildlife, Susant Nanda, raised doubts about the NTCA report.

The report said there were 12,852 leopards in the forests across the country in 2018, while the number increased to 13,874 in 2022. (Express File Photo)

With the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) estimating a decline of about 25 per cent in leopard numbers in only four years, the Odisha government Friday said it would conduct a survey to ascertain the animal count from May.

The NTCA report on the status of leopards in India-2022 said that as many as 192 leopards vanished from the state’s forests. It said there were 760 leopards in the forests of Odisha in 2018, while the number came down to 568 in 2022.

Also read | After disagreeing with national survey, Odisha says it has 30 Royal Bengal Tigers, 8 cubs

On the other hand, the report said there were 12,852 leopards in the forests across the country in 2018, while the number increased to 13,874 in 2022.

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Not convinced about the count in Odisha, Odisha Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Wildlife, Susant Nanda, raised doubts about the NTCA report. “While NTCA had installed cameras to take pictures of leopards in 14 places in Odisha forests during the 2018 survey, this time, they used such techniques only in three places such as Similipal, Satkosia and Sunabeda,” Nanda said.

The 5th cycle of leopard assessment (2022) in India is out. Estimated leopard population for India during the 5th cycle was 13,874.Up from 12,852 leopards of 4th cycle of estimation.

This represents 70% of leopard occupied area.The population growth across India was 1.08%/ yr. pic.twitter.com/Jng8li5ZIN

— Susanta Nanda (@susantananda3) February 29, 2024

Nanda claimed that no cameras were installed in the core area of the Similipal National Park, where the number of leopards is said to be significant.

Therefore, the state government has decided to launch its estimation of leopards from May, he said.

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