Leopard Population Soars in North Bengal, Records a 200% Increase: Government Survey

There are around 230 leopards in north Bengal, according to a nationwide assessment done by the Union ministry of forests, environment, and climate change. The animal population has been increasing for years.

The government released the 2022 leopard population estimate for all of India on Thursday. According to the research, Bengal's northern regions are home to 233 leopards.

The research states that there has been a significant growth in population. This is due to the fact that a previous estimate from 2018 put the number of leopards in north Bengal at 83. This indicates that the population has increased by 200 percent," a senior state forest department official said.

According to the survey, the number of leopards in neighboring Assam climbed from 47 to 74 during the same time, while the population of leopards in Arunachal Pradesh increased from 11 to 42 between 2018 and 2022.

According to the report, the number of leopards has grown by 67% outside of protected regions. This indicates that the leopard population in the area has decreased, a source said.

The tea gardens, commonly referred to as leopard habitats, are where foresters said the census had not been completed.

It is common to see and encounter leopards in tea gardens. Female leopards visit tea gardens, especially around November and March, to give birth to pups. For this reason, the census must include tea plantations, particularly those close to woods, according to Siliguri-based wildlife advocate Animesh Bose.

The chief conservator of forests (wildlife, north), Bhashkar J.V., said that trap cameras were used in the count of leopards.

We believe that 200 more leopards reside on tea plantations. "We intend to incorporate tea plantations into the leopard counting process in North Bengal," he said.