Telangana: Leopard population increases in Amrabad Tiger Reserve

Across Telangana, the leopard population came down from 334 in 2018 to 297 in 2022. On the other hand, in Amrabad, the population went up from 94 to 121 within the reserve limits

Hyderabad: The ‘Status of Leopards in India’ report released by the union government has come as a mixed bag for the State. While, the leopard population increased considerably in Amrabad Tiger Reserve, it came down in the entire Telangana limits.

Across the State, the leopard population came down from 334 in 2018 to 297 in 2022. On the other hand, in Amrabad, the population went up from 94 to 121 within the reserve limits. The number of leopards using the tiger reserve, which come and go, went up from 160 to 178.

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This was majorly due to the effective measures ensuring that the habitat remained intact. This apart, focus was laid on increasing the preybase and ensuring water availability through different interventions. More importantly, increased surveillance on poaching and measures to curb such activities helped in improving the leopard population, Amrabad FDO Rohit Gopidi said.

On the other hand, in the Kawal Tiger Reserve, the population has come down considerably. The population within the reserve limits came down from 42 to 19.

The country wide estimates assessment was conducted in 20 States. The foot survey was conducted covering 6,41,449 km to estimate carnivore signs and prey abundance. Effective patrolling and law enforcement were particularly critical in Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Odisha and Telangana, the report said.