INDIAN LEOPARD (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Env and Eco)

Context: The Indian leopard (Panthera pardus fusca) is suspected to have declined 24.5% over the last three generations, according to the latest assessment by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Indian leopard

• About: A subspecies of the leopard (P. pardus) that is widely distributed on the Indian subcontinent.
• Distribution: Indian leopards are widely distributed throughout the country, inhabiting diverse landscapes such as forests, grasslands, and even human-dominated areas. 
• Habitat: They are adaptable to a range of habitats, including the Himalayan foothills, Western Ghats, dry deciduous forests, and the northeastern regions of India.
• Conservation Status:

o IUCN Red List: Vulnerable

o CITES: Appendix I

o Wildlife (Protection) Act,1972: Schedule I

Global Numbers

• Population Decline: Across the majority of range, Leopards have declined substantially (>30%) over the last three generations as determined by extensive population surveys.
• Range Declines: Substantial range declines have been seen over the past three generations (22.3 years) in the Middle East, East and South-east Asia, West, parts of Central, and East Africa.
• Regional Disappearances: The leopard has completely disappeared from regions of North Africa, according to the latest assessment.
• Critically Endangered Subspecies: The Indochinese leopard (Panthera pardus delacouri), Arabian leopard (Panthera pardus nimr), and North China Leopard (Panthera pardus orientalis - though not individually assessed).
• Endangered Subspecies: Persian leopard (Panthera pardus tulliana) and Javan leopard (Panthera pardus melas).
• Vulnerable Subspecies: The African leopard (Panthera pardus pardus) and Sri Lankan leopard (Panthera pardus kotiya).