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Delhi’s Wildlife Sanctuary Is Home To 8 Leopards: Report


Delhi's wildlife sanctuary is home to 8 cheetahs: Report

The reserve has a leopard density of 4.5 per 100 km. (File)

New Delhi:

A year-long study confirmed the presence of eight leopards in the Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary, a sign of its thriving ecosystem.

According to the Delhi Gazetteer, the reserve did not record any leopards for decades after 1940. In 2019, the Delhi forestry department reported sightings of pug tracks and scales in the area. conserve.

Research conducted by the Delhi Department of Forests and Wildlife and the Bombay Natural History Society from June 2021 to June 2022 used 42 infrared stealth imaging traps. It provided an estimate of the population size, density and spatial distribution of leopards.

The study also sheds light on the presence and spatial distribution of other mammals such as the striped hyena, the wildcat, the golden jackal, the Indian hare, the Indian wild boar, the black stag, sambar deer, spotted deer and elk among others.

It confirms the presence of eight cheetahs, an indication of the sanctuary’s thriving ecosystem. This study posits the belief that leopards can coexist with human settlements.

“Of these eight leopards, four males and one female regularly appear in front of camera traps. They have been spotted roaming the same tracks once and even twice in the same week many times. This shows that they have turned this city the report said.

Adjacent to the reserve, Sanjay Colony is a human-dominated area. Despite this, cheetahs are still seen occasionally visiting the area. The conservation area bordering between the Chhatarpur and Neeli Jheel regions sees a maximum of cheetahs.

The creation of the reserve and the recent introduction of the Ecology Task Force have reduced human activity in the reserve. The forest and wildlife department has begun restoration and reforestation activities in the reserve to repopulate it.

Once a barren area with abandoned mining pits and invasive trees, the reserve has transformed into a lush forest with a wealth of plant species, the report said.

The Department of Forests and Wildlife said the study will be a pilot study and will be used to design a program to carry out long-term studies of different mammal species.

This study could be useful in devising different conservation management plans for other related species with the goal of turning the reserve into a true refuge for urban wildlife.

The Sariska-Delhi wildlife corridor remains active and restoration programs in the reserve have provided safe habitat for leopards and their related species, the researchers say.

It has been found that most cheetahs share their home ranges with each other. Studies have suggested that a leopard’s home range is largely dependent on prey availability and can range from 9 to 451 square kilometers.

Asola leopards cover an area of ​​only 32.71 square kilometers and, possibly, they also occupy adjacent woodlands of the contiguous Faridabad district.

The reserve has a leopard population density of 4.5 per 100 km, the researchers say.

Clouded leopard population density is 3.03 in Bandhavgarh National Park, Madhya Pradesh; 3.1 at Sariska Tiger Reserve, Rajasthan; 2.8 in Dhachigam National Park, Jammu Kashmir; 12.04 at Chhattisgarh’s Achanakmar Tiger Reserve; and 13.41 in Mudumalayi Tiger Reserve, Tamil Nadu.

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