This story is from July 9, 2019

Bijnor to have its first-ever leopard census after 40 leopard sightings in two months

Forest department officials have decided to conduct a leopard census in September, the first ever in Bijnor, after the district recorded 40 leopard sightings in the last two months. As many as 40 cameras will be set up and pugmarks tracked as part of the census.
Bijnor to have its first-ever leopard census after 40 leopard sightings in two months
No leopard survey has ever been conducted in West UP
BIJNOR: Forest department officials have decided to conduct a leopard census in September, the first ever in Bijnor, after the district recorded 40 leopard sightings in the last two months. As many as 40 cameras will be set up and pugmarks tracked as part of the census.
Leopards generally thrive on the fringes of forests and often get into direct conflict with humans, as they prey on dogs, goats, rabbits, wild boars, calves of nilgai and cattle, jackals, etc., which are found in abundance near human habitats.
Between February and April, they deliver and breed inside sugarcane fields of West UP — known as India’s sugarcane bowl — which completely exposes the cubs when the crop is harvested in the last week of April.
Bijnor comes second after Lakhimpurkhiri in area under sugarcane cultivation. With the destruction of forests, leopards have started relocating to sugarcane fields. Between May and June alone, the district forest department has rescued 5 cubs.
Another factor behind their shift in habitat is the rising number of tigers. There are over 20 tigers here in the Amangarh tiger reserve, who have pushed leopards out of the forest.
Incidentally, no leopard survey has ever been conducted in West UP. Even though forest officials are elated with the rise in number of leopards, they don’t have any management plan for the animal.
But now, after a sharp rise in sightings of big cats and attacks on farmers, locals are seething with anger against forest officials for their “inaction”, as they are afraid to venture into the forest.
Forest officials have been trying to convince farmers that leopard is their friend, as they prey upon those very animals that damage crops. But with man-animal conflict on the rise, particularly across 25 villages in the district, farmers are unwilling to buy this theory.

Finally, forest authorities have decided to conduct a leopard census in order to draw up a management plan. Bijnor DFO M Semmaran said, “It’s good that the number of leopards is on the rise. We’ve now decided to carry out a leopard census, for which, we’ll set up 40 cameras and also count them by identifying pugmarks.”
He added, “Proper record will be maintained and map prepared to show the number of leopards. The survey will be done in September, after which we’ll draw up a plan for their conservation, and put an end to man-animal conflicts.”
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