Even as the Ministry of Environment and Forests set aside the landmark Madhav Gadgil report that recommended measures to safeguard biodiversity in the Western Ghats, a new study of leopards in a district in Maharashtra offers hope for a new approach to how endangered species can be protected.
Contrary to the received wisdom that big cats need a steady supply of herbivores like deer to maintain a certain population density, they can actually thrive very well outside sanctuaries on a diet largely composed of dogs – and very little livestock – all without much human conflict, the study shows.
Most naturalists concentrate on wildlife inside protected areas but as the study shows, even non-protected areas have a high biodiversity, said Vidya Athreya, an author of the paper and one of India's foremost leopard researchers, who works with the Wildlife Conservation Society, India. This is significant, she said, because it means that natural forests are not the only places that can possibly sustain wildlife.
Given that most city dwellers hear of leopards only when they attack humans, as they used to do on an alarmingly frequent basis in Mumbai, it might seem odd that Akola in western Maharashtra, where the study was conducted, has rarely seen any human deaths caused by its six leopards, despite a population of around 20,000 people in an area of 238 sq km.
“We can relate this to how people in cities relate to dogs,” she said. “Some hate and some like them. But if there is one rabid dog, everyone will want all dogs removed.”
Other prey
Leopards have been a part of the regular landscape at Akola for years, but they do not often attack humans or even the large population of wild pigs kept in the centre of the town. Instead, they target easily available small domestic animals such as dogs and cats. They tend to avoid larger livestock because these are better protected.
“Although the density of goats and cows is far more, leopards still prefer to eat dogs and cats,” said Athreya, who attributed this to the fact that farmers protect goats and cows much better by putting them into cattle sheds at night.
The people of Akola do attempt to protect their dogs by making them wear collars with huge spikes. Though this does not necessarily guarantee their lives, it prevents leopards from snapping their necks immediately, allowing the dogs to howl for human help.
The study was conducted over two years in an irrigated valley around Akola by Athreya, Morten Odden, John Linnell, Jagdish Krishnaswamy and Ullas Karath. There is no forest in this area and the closest protected forest is 18 km away.
On analysing scat samples across leopard trails in the area, the team found that 87% of the leopard diet is comprised of domestic animals and not wild creatures. Of this, 39% are dogs. According to the study, dogs and cats are over-represented in their diet, despite the high population density of goats and cattle.
“There is nobody to love leopards in villages, of course, though some people do worship a leopard god,” said Athreya. “There is a whole range of people who really do not care. This would change if there is a human attack.”
Resistance to the study
Research on big cats tends to be restricted to wildlife sanctuaries where human interactions are limited and controlled. But unlike places like Europe and North America where large carnivores outside their zones are often killed, India’s wildlife is not restricted only to parks and sanctuaries.
In Athreya’s study area, the team also found instances of hyenas, jackals, foxes and jungle cats. In drier landscapes, there might be wolves and desert foxes. Leopards are particularly well-suited to survive outside sanctuaries. They are light and quick creatures that have highly adaptable diets and can hide easily.
“Another thing some researchers say is that because of the presence of tigers in forests, leopards will be pushed away,” said Athreya. “That is why they will always be on the fringes.”
Even wolves, she said, occur largely in areas used by humans because no protected area is big enough for large packs of wolves.
The results of this study are not particularly new to people who live in the area. The Forest Department consists primarily of rural people who have always dealt with animals. Instead, other researchers found this difficult to believe.
Beyond biology
“The largest resistance I faced from the results was from my colleagues who are scientists and urban conservationists,” said Athreya. “They could not believe that despite there being no wild prey, leopards can live in human areas without conflict.”
“When you look at wildlife which can damage people and property, then you cannot get away with studying only their biology,” she added. “This requires a different skill set.”
But Athreya is firm about the scope of her study.
“We just show that human-use landscapes can be prey-rich for carnivores,” she said. “That is all.”
Contrary to the received wisdom that big cats need a steady supply of herbivores like deer to maintain a certain population density, they can actually thrive very well outside sanctuaries on a diet largely composed of dogs – and very little livestock – all without much human conflict, the study shows.
Most naturalists concentrate on wildlife inside protected areas but as the study shows, even non-protected areas have a high biodiversity, said Vidya Athreya, an author of the paper and one of India's foremost leopard researchers, who works with the Wildlife Conservation Society, India. This is significant, she said, because it means that natural forests are not the only places that can possibly sustain wildlife.
Given that most city dwellers hear of leopards only when they attack humans, as they used to do on an alarmingly frequent basis in Mumbai, it might seem odd that Akola in western Maharashtra, where the study was conducted, has rarely seen any human deaths caused by its six leopards, despite a population of around 20,000 people in an area of 238 sq km.
“We can relate this to how people in cities relate to dogs,” she said. “Some hate and some like them. But if there is one rabid dog, everyone will want all dogs removed.”
Other prey
Leopards have been a part of the regular landscape at Akola for years, but they do not often attack humans or even the large population of wild pigs kept in the centre of the town. Instead, they target easily available small domestic animals such as dogs and cats. They tend to avoid larger livestock because these are better protected.
“Although the density of goats and cows is far more, leopards still prefer to eat dogs and cats,” said Athreya, who attributed this to the fact that farmers protect goats and cows much better by putting them into cattle sheds at night.
The people of Akola do attempt to protect their dogs by making them wear collars with huge spikes. Though this does not necessarily guarantee their lives, it prevents leopards from snapping their necks immediately, allowing the dogs to howl for human help.
Photo credit: Anirudh Chaoji
The study was conducted over two years in an irrigated valley around Akola by Athreya, Morten Odden, John Linnell, Jagdish Krishnaswamy and Ullas Karath. There is no forest in this area and the closest protected forest is 18 km away.
On analysing scat samples across leopard trails in the area, the team found that 87% of the leopard diet is comprised of domestic animals and not wild creatures. Of this, 39% are dogs. According to the study, dogs and cats are over-represented in their diet, despite the high population density of goats and cattle.
“There is nobody to love leopards in villages, of course, though some people do worship a leopard god,” said Athreya. “There is a whole range of people who really do not care. This would change if there is a human attack.”
Resistance to the study
Research on big cats tends to be restricted to wildlife sanctuaries where human interactions are limited and controlled. But unlike places like Europe and North America where large carnivores outside their zones are often killed, India’s wildlife is not restricted only to parks and sanctuaries.
In Athreya’s study area, the team also found instances of hyenas, jackals, foxes and jungle cats. In drier landscapes, there might be wolves and desert foxes. Leopards are particularly well-suited to survive outside sanctuaries. They are light and quick creatures that have highly adaptable diets and can hide easily.
“Another thing some researchers say is that because of the presence of tigers in forests, leopards will be pushed away,” said Athreya. “That is why they will always be on the fringes.”
Even wolves, she said, occur largely in areas used by humans because no protected area is big enough for large packs of wolves.
The results of this study are not particularly new to people who live in the area. The Forest Department consists primarily of rural people who have always dealt with animals. Instead, other researchers found this difficult to believe.
Beyond biology
“The largest resistance I faced from the results was from my colleagues who are scientists and urban conservationists,” said Athreya. “They could not believe that despite there being no wild prey, leopards can live in human areas without conflict.”
“When you look at wildlife which can damage people and property, then you cannot get away with studying only their biology,” she added. “This requires a different skill set.”
But Athreya is firm about the scope of her study.
“We just show that human-use landscapes can be prey-rich for carnivores,” she said. “That is all.”
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