As many as 11 common leopards have died in human-wildlife conflict in Kathmandu Valley in the past five years.
The number of leopard deaths was compiled from cases reported by the District Forest Offices of Kathmandu, Bhaktapur and Lalitpur since 2013.
An ongoing study, conducted by the Friends of Nature (FON) on human-leopard conflict in the Valley, shows that these leopards were killed as they entered human settlements from nearby forests.
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Two big cats were reportedly spotted roaming Gloucestershire on Tuesday.
Big cat expert Frank Tunbridge received reports one was seen in France Lynch, near Stroud, at 8.30am, and another off Church Lane in Barnwood at 11.15pm.
Mr Tunbridge, who has been tracking big cats for 40 years, believes they have been forced to venture into the open because their usual water sources have dried up in the hot weather. There are no images of the spottings.
The 71-year-old, who runs Dursley Car Boot Sale, thinks the animals seen on Tuesday could be leopard and puma hybrids.
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The year 2010 was the Year of the Tiger, and no, we are not just going by the Chinese calendar. That year, the number 1,411 popped up everywhere and on everything from bumper stickers to bus board hoardings and even promotional text messages. In case you were wondering what the number was, it was the number of tigers left in India according to a report released by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, in 2006.
In 2010 however, the actual number stood at 1,706, and a mere four years later at 2,226. The steady rise in numbers can be attributed to several awareness/fundraising campaigns that were launched, urging all those to join the Save The Tiger campaign, in whatever way they could.
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He is two months old. He is hungry. Scared. He is wondering when his mother is coming back.
Gunshot echoes.
Maybe she is not.
And then, an ominous message that flashes across the TV screen, "Just 1411 left".
Back in 2010, the distressed furry little face of Stripey, the tiger cub in Aircel's famous ad campaign "Save Our Tigers" brought the entire nation together.
Eight years on, that crisis seems to have been averted. The concentrated efforts of independent activists, government policies, amendments to the Wild Life Protection Act, and rising awareness have helped push the number of the wild cats to 2,226 in 2014, when the last tiger census was held.
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On Sunday, a leopard attacked a Rottweiler in Mulund West, the area lies within the National Park's boundary, according to a report on Times of India. Hearing the poor animal bark, the owner came to the rescue, and in turn got attacked by the leopard too, suffering from injuries on his face, and scalp. This year, it is the second incident of a leopard attack on human life.
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A mountain lion that killed a goat on a Kenwood property was put to death last week, sparking an effort by environmentalists to educate landowners about the benefits of the big cats.
The July 26 death is the second such state-sanctioned killing in the last eight months of a mountain lion that has preyed on livestock in the Sonoma Valley, according to Audubon Canyon Ranch, a conservation group based in Stinson Beach.
The 16-month-old lion, dubbed “P6,” was the subject of a research project and known to wildlife fans outside Sonoma Valley. Images of the animal had been captured on video and photos by the group, which shared them on social media.
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The number of tigers is dwindling fast with a majority of deaths of big cats being caused by poaching and destruction of natural habitats worldwide. Administrative will power, execution of laws, creation of awareness and people’s cooperation are needed to protect the big cats.
Experts opined this on the occasion of the International Tiger Day and Van Mahotsav held here on Monday jointly by Orissa Environmental Society (OES), the Even Green Forum and the Shatakshi Mahila Sangathan.
According to the speakers, there were a total of 3,890 tigers leaving in various jungles and zoos worldwide by 2016. With 2,226 tigers, India contributed 70 per cent the world’s big cat population. Odisha had a dismal number of 28 tigers by that period.
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