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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday hailed the significant increase in India’s leopard population, saying it is a testament to the country’s unwavering dedication to biodiversity. Earlier, Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav released a report on Thursday, according to which India’s estimated leopard population rose from 12,852 in 2018 to 13,874 in 2022. Madhya Pradesh has the maximum number of leopards in the country at 3,907 (up from 3,421 in 2018), the report said.
Reposting the Environment Minister’s post on the report on X, Modi said, “Great news! This significant increase in leopard numbers is a testament to India’s unwavering dedication to biodiversity.” “I compliment all those who are part of the various collective efforts towards wildlife protection, paving the way for a sustainable coexistence,” he said.
The number of felines grew from 1,690 in 2018 to 1,985 in 2022 in Maharashtra, from 1,783 to 1,879 in Karnataka, and from 868 to 1,070 in Tamil Nadu.
“Central India shows a stable or slightly growing leopard population (8,820 in 2022 against 8,071 in 2018), the Shivalik hills and the Indo-Gangetic Plains experienced a decline (from 1,253 in 2018 to 1,109 in 2022),” the environment ministry said in a statement.
In Madhya Pradesh, the leopard occupancy increased in the Chambal and Bundelkhand regions with a marginal decline from the Chhindwara forests, the report said, adding, “Panna Tiger Reserve and Kuno National Park exhibit some of the highest leopard densities in India”.
The report cautioned that while leopard populations thrive in Madhya Pradesh, “effective vigilance is essential to address both targeted and unintentional poaching… there is a need for the effective implementation of mitigation measures concerning linear infrastructure development projects to ensure the continued well-being of leopard populations in the region,” the report said.
The report also showcased that the leopards were able to coexist with tigers in Madhya Pradesh as tiger reserves such as Satpura, Bandhavgarh, Pench, and Kanha also feature high leopard numbers.
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