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Leopards in western ghats
Why is it in News?
- According to 2018 report, Karnataka (1783) tops the list followed by Tamil Nadu in case of number of leopards.
Details:
- Report is released by Ministry of environment, forests and climate change.
- Western ghats is home to 3387 leopards.
- India’s total population of leopards is 12852.
- Leopards are located in Nilgiri, western ghats, dry forest patches in central Karnataka.
- Population has increased in most of the tiger reserves.
- Caution has been expressed about human-animal conflict due to increasing human population and fragmented forests.
- Leopard:
(1) Nine subspecies of the leopard have been recognized, and they are distributed across Africa and Asia.
(2) The leopard is the smallest of the big cats, and known for its ability to adapt in a variety of habitats.
(3) Melanism is a common occurrence in leopards, wherein the entire skinof the animal is black in colour, including its spots.
(4) A nocturnal animal, the leopard hunts by night. It feeds on smaller species of herbivores found in its range, such as the chital, hog deer and wild boar.