Bengaluru has earned the title of India’s ‘Leopard Capital’, overtaking Mumbai in hosting the highest number of free-ranging leopards near a major urban center. A year-long survey (2024–2025) by the Holématthi Nature Foundation (HNF), led by conservationist Dr. Sanjay Gubbi, estimates 80–85 leopards across Bengaluru’s urban-wild interface.
Key Findings:
- Bannerghatta National Park (BNP): Home to 54 leopards (up from 40 in 2019)
- City Fringe Areas: Host ~30 leopards
- Survey Coverage: 282 sq km, over 250 camera traps
- Biodiversity Documented: 34 mammal species, including 8 IUCN-listed species and 27 protected under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972
Primary Survey Goals:
- Estimate leopard population
- Map habitat use and movement
- Propose long-term conservation plans
Major Survey Zones:
Turahalli, B.M. Kaval, U.M. Kaval, Roerich Estate, Hesaraghatta, Manduru, and others.
Why Numbers Are Rising:
- Stricter protection and better prey in BNP
- Community tolerance and coexistence
- Past translocations of conflict leopards
HNF’s Key Recommendations:
- Grant conservation reserve status to areas like Roerich Estate and Gollahalli Gudda
- Expand BNP to include adjoining forests
- Protect vital wildlife corridors
- Avoid further leopard translocations into BNP
- Educate communities for safer coexistence
Significance:
This milestone places Bengaluru on the global map for urban wildlife conservation, showcasing that big cats and cityscapes can thrive together with informed policy and grassroots support.
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