Leopard Population Surges in Nayagarh: Rare Black Leopards Spotted!

Leopard Population Growth in Nayagarh

Nayagarh: Forest officials have reported a significant increase in the leopard population within the Mahanadi wildlife division of Nayagarh district. The count has risen from 17 to 35 leopards. Additionally, there are indications of rare melanistic leopards inhabiting the area.

During the recent 2023 tiger census, a camera trap captured images of a black leopard, a rare genetic variant. This discovery has delighted both environmentalists and local residents, with suggestions that more than one black leopard may be present in Nayagarh's forests.

Despite the excitement, forest authorities have kept details under wraps, confirming only one black leopard's presence. The first sighting of a black leopard in Odisha was recorded in 2015, with another sighting in 2021 via camera traps in the Banigochha (West) forest range of Daspalla.

In November 2023, Sushant Nanda, the then Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife), shared the rare sighting on social media, drawing significant attention. Later that year, the black leopard was again photographed in the Chhamundia forest area of Gania block.

Previously, in 2015 and 2022, the animal was mistakenly referred to as a 'black cheetah' in media reports. However, officials clarified in 2023 that it is indeed a black leopard, reinforcing the notion of a unique lineage thriving in Nayagarh's forests.

According to the 2017-18 tiger census, Nayagarh was home to 17 leopards. The census, conducted every four years, last occurred in 2021-22, but the exact number of leopards was not disclosed.

Tigers are enumerated annually in June and December, with trap cameras used to monitor their populations, including the rare melanistic variant, elephants, and other wildlife.

The Mahanadi Wildlife Division anticipates that by 2025, the forest could support 30-35 leopards, including one melanistic. However, comprehensive data on the total population and animal deaths from 2017 to 2025 remains unavailable.

"Currently, we have one black leopard and 30 to 35 regular leopards in our forest," stated Amaresh Pradhan, Divisional Forest Officer of the Mahanadi Wildlife Division. "Our department is prioritizing the prevention of poaching of tigers and other wildlife. Although I am new to this position, ensuring the safety of these animals is a top priority," he added. However, repeated seizures of leopard hides from the Daspalla range raise concerns about poaching activities.

Authorities are still investigating whether poaching is occurring within the Mahanadi Wildlife Division, Nayagarh Forest Division, or neighboring forests. The inability to identify the masterminds behind these poaching networks has led to allegations of compromised wildlife protection efforts.

Wildlife activists have criticized the Forest and Wildlife departments for negligence, noting that the Odisha Police’s Special Task Force (STF) has seized tiger hides from the Daspalla forest range without local forest authorities' awareness.

Over the past five years, the STF has confiscated more than seven hides of felines in Nayagarh alone. In a recent incident two months ago, the STF recovered the hide of a 10-year-old leopard killed in Banigochha, arresting two suspects, Gangadhar Nayak and Rakesh Nayak.