Bhubaneswar: The government of Odisha has published its first leopard census report, indicating that there are currently 696 leopards within the state. The state’s Forest Department carried out this independent enumeration.
The leopard population in the state has seen an increase, as reported by the state’s first leopard census. PCCF Susanta Nanda stated that the forest department included leopards in its count this time.
The NTCA’s 2022 report indicated that Odisha had 568 tigers, which has now risen to 696. However, this is a decrease from the 760 tigers recorded in 2018, marking a 25.26 per cent reduction by 2022.
Tigers are predominantly found in the Rayagada, Kandhamal, Sambalpur, Sundargarh, and Angul districts. The Similipal and Satkosia tiger reserves in the state provide a conducive environment for sustaining a large tiger population.
