To address the problem of increasing leopard attacks in the city, Sanjay Gandhi National Park, in collaboration with Center for Wildlife Studies (CWS), held an awareness workshop on the subject of human-leopard conflict. Since 2000, there have been around 125 leopard attacks in areas adjoining SGNP.
Vidya Athreya of Bengaluru’s CWS explained her team’s 2011 study, in which they tracked the park’s leopard population, diet, and human-leopard conflicts. Using camera traps, they charted the number of leopards in a 120-square kilometre area over five months and found 20 leopards.
SGNP is surrounded by urban territory and although leopards fear humans, they attack when threatened. The organisation’s primary goal is to properly manage such situations. “In a leopard encounter, Section 144 of the Indian Penal Code should be declared to prohibit mob formations. People should immediately alert the police,” said Ms Athreya.
According to SGNP director Sunil Limaye, another major problem is the human encroachment at the forest’s edge. The SGNP now plans to build a 2.5-metre tall concrete wall around the forest, but it cannot do so until it relocates the 7,000 homeless people living around the perimeter.
Both Ms Athreya and Mr Limaye said that the presence of leopards in cities is due to easy access to food. There is no garbage collection in the slums around the Aarey Milk Colony, drawing about 700 dogs to the area. A leopard consumes one dog a week, providing many leopards with food in the area.
“Trapping leopards aggravates the problem, but SGNP is the only place in the region where captured leopards can be released. However, territorial animals, including leopards, do not allow newcomers into their areas, yet they are being forced into human areas,” said Ms Athreya. “Transferring the animal is just transferring the problem,” added Dipti Humraskar from Mumbaikars for SGNP.