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Laurie Marker1 and Swarnatara Sivamani2 Status Reports from States Due to increased conflicts between humans Policy for human-leopard and leopards, forest officials were asked to present the current situation of leopards in conflict management in India their regions. Six Chief Wildlife Wardens from the states of Maharashtra (Mr. B. Ma- A national workshop was held 23-24 January 2007 in New Delhi, India to develop zumdar), Gujarat (Mr P. Khanna), Assam (Mr. a pragmatic management policy for human-leopard conflicts in problem areas. The M. C. Malakar), Uttaranchal, (Mr. S. Chan- Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF), Government of India, the Wildlife Trust dola), Himachal Pradesh (Mr. V. Tandon), of India (WTI) and the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) jointly hosted Jammu & Kashmir (Mr. A. K. Srivastava from the workshop. Over 25 participants attended, including scientific experts who have Jammu & Kashmir) gave presentations, each worked with leopards and other carnivores in India and abroad, and Chief Wildlife representing States where human-leopard Wardens and Forest officials from Maharashtra, Gujarat, Assam, Uttaranchal, Himach- conflicts are elevated. The wardens all pre- al Pradesh, and Jammu and Kashmir. Topics of the workshop included status reports sented figures on numbers of human deaths from States, overview of leopard ecology, legal issues of handling the species, and caused by leopards during recent years. Table the formulation of a national policy for human-leopard conflict management. 1 presents annual data reported from six of the regions by State forest officials on human Leopard Panthera pardus management in In- is expensive and is associated with many killed by leopards and leopards killed. The dia is facing many challenges. Leopards have welfare issues. The success of translocation attacks were all occurring in human domi- highly diversified diets and are extremely is under much discussion as there is no avail- nated landscapes as it appears that there is adaptable to various ecological conditions able habitat and emerging data indicate that an increasing occurrence of leopards in these (Daniel 1996, Hayward et al. 2006). This translocation may actually lead to an increase landscapes as well as an increased human versatility allows them to thrive in a broad in serious conficts (Athreya 2006). A thorough encroachment on leopard habitats. Tensions range of habitats, often bordering human review of strategy is therefore required to ad- were reported to be high in areas where at- settlements. In recent years the presence of dress every possible human-leopard conflict tacks occurred, with constant demands for leopards has been increasing in a wide range situation and develop appropriate protocols the Forestry Department to act, which in most of rural and even built-up environments, far for response. cases meant either removing leopards to cap- removed from natural habitats and protected tivity or translocating leopards. Substantial 23 areas. Although leopards have shown a re- Leopard Distribution in India numbers of leopards were also reported as markable ability to live relatively peacefully Leopards are the most widely distributed being killed through retaliatory killings. The close to people, conflicts can and do occur, large felid. In India, leopard are widespread wardens expressed a clear need for a more with leopards killing livestock and in extreme in a range of natural and human-dominated sustainable strategy. cases people. landscapes. Twenty-five of the thirty-five In- Due to fear and anger, many affected persons dian States and Union Territories have con- Global Scientific Community retaliate by injuring and killing leopards (Ka- firmed the presence of leopards. Leopard Researchers and scientific experts from India ranth & Madhusudan 2002) and demanding counts are fraught with uncertainity, but of- and abroad spoke extensively on human-car- that authorities take action. Because Indian ficial data from 16 states indicates that the nivore conflicts in various parts of the world. law prohibits the killing of schedule 1 spe- population is increasing. Similarly, India’s hu- They highlighted, among other things, the cies, responses have been confined to remov- man population grew by 34% between 1991 lack of extensive scientific research on elu- ing the animal to captivity or translocating it and 2001 (Office of Registrar General, India sive, territorial carnivores like the leopard. to a new area. Holding animals in captivity 2007). Vidya Athreya from the Kaati Trust of India, brought up a very important consideration Table 1. Number of humans killed by leopards and leopards killed annually in six for the relocation of wild leopards. Leopards Indian regions (2000 -2007) as presented by State forest officials. are highly territorial animals and when dis- placed, they have a tendency to seek out their Region Victim 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 original territory, which may be hundreds of Gujarat Human - 8 14 20 4 4 - - kilometers away. In this process, the leopard Leopard - 42 37 40 24 25 - - can often run into numerous human-domi- Jammu & Kashmir Human ------nated landscapes and cause more problems Leopard - - - - 1 2 11 3 for which it had previously been caught. The Assam Human - - - - - 0 0 - movements of relocated leopards must be Leopard - - - - - 3 5 - properly monitored so that trends may be Uttaranchal Human 4 40 33 40 45 36 41 0 observed. If relocation causes more problems Leopard 10 92 81 72 53 57 54 4 than it solves, human-leopard conflicts must Maharashta Human ------be resolved in another way. Leopard - - - - 20 9 4 - During relocation, proper procedures must be Himachal Pradesh Human - - - 0 0 0 4 2 used in order to safely trap the leopard and Leopard - - - 14 22 17 14 6 assess its health and future prospects. Dr.
CATnews 50 Spring 2009 Marker & Sivamani
Aniruddha Belsare, a veterinary officer, spoke nivores must live in human-dominated land- The consensus among scientists and re- on the capture and post-capture manage- scapes as protected areas are too small and searchers involved in large carnivore conser- ment strategies for leopards. He pointed out human presence is even significant within vation is that scientific research must be the many wrong practices carried out today such them. As a conservation strategy, Linnell pro- foundation upon which sound management as foresters not using chemical restraints to posed involving the stakeholders in conser- policies are formed. capture leopards. This procedure not only vation and increasing the dialogue between injures the leopard, but can also put people scientists and wildlife managers in order to Reasons for Conflict in danger. Belsare recommended adequate decrease conflicts. Linnell also discussed the With the current rate of expansion and growth training and exposure to handling wildlife potential for hunting and lethal control of car- of the human population, conflicts with carni- properly. After capturing the animal, it must nivores to be a part of conservation practices. vores are becoming more and more unavoid- be transported securely in a locked cage. He He stressed the need for sustainable hunting able. The conference members discussed var- also recommended microchipping the animal and also using proactive mitigation to control ious reasons for human and leopard conflicts, for identification purposes. conflict situations rather than lethal control. which include habitat disturbance, human Additionally, experts on various other large Laurie Marker, of the Cheetah Conservation behavior and lack of scientific data. carnivores lectured at the conference. Ravi Fund (CCF) in Namibia Africa, presented their In India, there is an increased interface be- Chellam, who has worked with Asiatic lions, work on cheetah conservation in Namibian tween humans and leopards. Leopards are noted the problems these species face while farmlands. CCF has a three tier approach to highly adaptable and can vary their diet (Dan- trying to coexist with people. Asiatic lions are conservation through research, conservation iel 1996, Shukla 2002). In areas where the highly endangered species and are found in and education. The organization has initiated natural prey species have declined, it is not the Gir National Park in Gujarat. A problem of programs such as the use of ancient breeds uncommon for leopards to prey on humans, concern is that 82% of human deaths caused of Livestock Guarding Dogs that live with dogs, cows, goats, and other domestic spe- by the lions are reported outside the park. and protect the livestock. Another program, cies. The economic losses of livestock and These deaths are also reported seasonally, Cheetah Country Beef looks at international human depredation can increase human- with the advent of the monsoons. Chellam consumers buying Namibian beef to support carnivore conflicts (Woodroffe 2000, Treves & discussed the role of science in conserva- farmers through a price premium for good Karanth 2003). tion and the lack of research and monitoring farmers practice that promote nonlethal pred- In addition to its varied diet, the leopard can of large cats in India. He also noted there is ator practices while supporting sustainable live in diverse habitats. Human landscapes 24 a difference between saving individuals of a agriculture, where farmers benefit economi- are changing rapidly to meet the demands species versus conserving populations and cally while not killing predators. Additionally, of the world’s increasing population. In areas maintaining the integrity of habitats. The lat- and most importantly for the Indian situation, of India where the climate and soil are ideal, ter approach will yield long term results. are the CCF training programs. CCF provides people have converted natural habitats into John Linnell and Laurie Marker spoke on practical training programs for a variety of sugarcane fields or tea plantations. These ag- human-animal conflicts in regions other than groups, from professionals in the wildlife ricultural areas provide shelter and cover for India. Linnell is involved in large carnivore field, to rural farmers in pre-arranged top- the leopard. It is in these areas with high en- conservation in Europe and noted that a ma- ics including land use planning and predator counter rates between people and leopards jor issue there is livestock depredation. In ecology, field research techniques, wildlife that attacks on people can occur. Norway, it is estimated that 40,000 sheep are capture, immobilization and handling, cap- Researchers and scientists have noted the killed per year. Due to such high losses, car- tive wildlife husbandry, non-lethal predator lack of scientific research being conducted nivores are often perceived as competitors to control techniques, livestock and wildlife on the leopard. In order to form effective farmers and ranchers. In Europe, all large car- management. conservation targets, scientific data is vital so that conflicts are prevented from occurring altogether. There is a need to form policies for proactive versus reactive responses. More accurate human - leopard encounter figures are needed as well as constant monitoring of leopard populations and its prey. Athreya also noted that proper monitoring of relocated leopards is vital to understand better the im- pacts of this reactive management measure (Athreya 2006, Athreya & Belsare 2007).
Action Plan for the Future Workshop During the time frame of the conference, participants various group discussions were held to brain- in New storm possible solutions that could be drafted Dehli into a national policy to deal with human- (Photo leopard conflicts in India. The results from L. Marker). these group discussions are as follows:
CATnews 50 Spring 2009 leopard conservation in India
Rapid management of crisis situations In instances where a leopard causes conflict or becomes involved in a difficult situation (such as being trapped or falling into a well) in a human dominated landscape, it is neces- sary to manage the conflict with speed and accuracy in order to prevent panic and inju- ries or death. The conference participants suggested forming Emergency Response (ER) teams as an exsitu management option. These teams should be on standby to speedi- ly manage human leopard crises in conflict- prone areas. ER team members should con- sist of a person at the rank of an Assistant Conservator of Forests (ACF), one veterinari- an, and at least five trained support members. Functions of the ER should include declaring a curfew in the area in order to manage a crowd; informing the public at large about the Leopard in India (Photo WCS India Program). situation through a public address system; alerting police as well as having ambulances a need to ensure that laws are clearly trans- to conserve wildlife and its habitat (Marker ready. It is imperative that ER team members lated into enforcement and terms such as 2002). Conference members proposed the for- be trained adequately and thoroughly to work “problem animal” must be defined to prevent mation of a Community-Based Participatory with the necessary equipment and transport confusion during interpretation of the law. Management Plan. A major part of the plan is protocol. Managers must ensure that person- education. During times when leopards stray nel are trained to act in any possible situation Increasing scientific knowledge into an area, people must be taught the prop- involving one or many leopards. After cap- More research must be conducted on large er way to respond to the situation (such as by ture, the ER team should ascertain the health carnivores and their interaction with the en- staying and locking themselves into a secure 25 condition of the leopard and assess whether vironment in order to fully understand the area and notifying authorities). Local herders it is fit to release. If the animal is deemed not impacts these animals have on their sur- and shepherds would be encouraged to use releasable and depending on its condition, roundings. Suggestions from the conference alternative animal husbandry practices (such the leopard can either be kept in lifetime cap- attendees included allowing trapping for re- as fencing) that would discourage conflicts tivity or euthanized. If ER teams acted with search purposes, increasing wild prey availa- with wild animals. The locals would also be suitable protocol and equipment in a speedy bility in reserves, building more water reser- taught how to manage man made wastes but efficient manner, serious human-leopard voirs, restoration of degraded areas and also properly and also manage stray domestic conflicts could be avoided and managed. obtaining accurate population estimates of animals so that they are not identified as prey leopards. Expanding the current knowledge by carnivores. Another idea was self insured Government involvement on this highly elusive animal is crucial to sav- compensation, whereby the locals are able to Conference participants stressed the need ing the species. It is necessary to bridge the receive money in a situation where their live- for infrastructure and capacity building gap between scientific knowledge and wild- stock has been injured or killed by leopards or within the Forestry Departments in respec- life management to form effective policies to other large carnivores. tive states. Adequate training and equipment not only control present cases of human ani- must be given to forest officials, police offi- mal conflict, but also prevent future conflicts Conclusion cers and other government personnel so that from arising. The issues discussed at the conference span they can deal with human wildlife conflicts social, political and economic arenas. If con- throughout the country. Another hindrance to Community involvement servation of large carnivores is to be success- effective conflict management is that wildlife India’s growing population can be a great ful, all these aspects must be addressed. In managers could face legal problems while obstacle for wildlife conservation but the problem areas of India where human con- making site specific decisions, as per provi- people can also play a vital role in species flicts with leopards are on the rise, drastic sions in the Wildlife Protection Act. The con- conservation. Community based conservation action must be taken to ensure that conflicts ference members suggested making amend- initiatives are long-term solutions to manag- are dealt with rapidly. Emergency Response ments to section 11 of the Wildlife Protection ing human wildlife conflicts all over the world. teams must be formed with trained personnel Act to make them more amenable to conflict In Namibia, local communities have formed and adequate equipment to deal rapidly with resolution. The MoEF could also enact guide- conservancies that allow them to profit from wild animals and panicked people. This option lines so that the actions taken in good faith the presence of wildlife. The principle is that is a short-term management strategy. There is by the Chief Wildlife Warden are made legal once the people realize they are valuable a real need to develop a principle understand- and field level officers are empowered to deal stakeholders and are provided with incen- ing that species like leopards actually live in with capture of conflict animals. There is also tives, they have the motivation and desire human dominated landscapes and that they
CATnews 50 Spring 2009 news from around the world
are not just animals that have “strayed” from Athreya V. & Belsare A.V. 2007. Human-leopard Office of the Registrar, India. 2007. Census of In- some distant reserve. Accepting this principle conflict management guidelines. Kaati Trust, dia. Retrieved December 6, 2007 from
HANS DE IONGH1, PRICELIA TUMENTA2, BARBARA CROES1, PAUL FUNSTON3, lowing the direction of the signal we found HANS BAUER4 AND HELIAS UDO DE HAES1 to our dismay the collar of Adam lying on the ground. The collar was brought to our camp- Threat of a lion population site and after downloading and analyzing the 26 data, we concluded that the lion was killed extinction in Waza National during the night of 4 April 2008. Adam was a member of a group of four animals. Three Park, North Cameroon have been killed in a Nigerian village after taking livestock. In this short note we want to publicise recent reports on killing of lions in Waza National Park, northern Cameroon. Population surveys in the 1990s resulted in an es- Killing of lioness ‘Rosie’ timate of 50–60 lions (Bauer & de Iongh 2005, de Iongh & Bauer 2008). The population Lioness Rosie, collared in May 2008, also fell was reassessed in 2008 and was estimated to be 14-21 adult individuals (Van Rijssel into the hands of pastoralists on 12 February 2008, Tumenta et al. in press). We fear that this lion population may become extinct 2009. The collar was recovered on 28 May very soon if no measures are taken to improve protection in the park. 2009 at the last location, downloaded on 22 May. Positions showed that this lioness was As part of a PhD study by Pricelia Tumen- Killing of lion ‘Jean Pierre’ killed well inside the park boundaries (approx. ta Fobuzie, two collaring operations were During February 2008, two MSc students, Jet 15 km) in an area frequented by cattle on a conducted in Waza NP: 5-10 May 2007 and Kok and Jacco van Rijssel, recovered the collar daily basis. Rosie had not moved outside the 19-23 May 2008. Four lions (two males and of a male lion named Jean Pierre. The collar park boundaries since she was collared. two females) were successfully collared with was found hanging from a tree in Mourvouna This high frequency of killings suggests a GPS-PLUS collars in May 2007, while in May village, approximately 7 km outside the park population decline of approximately 6 lions 2008 one additional male was collared with a boundary. Analysis of position data from per year or more. Human-livestock pressure GPS-PLUS collar and one female with a GPS- the collar suggested that the lion had most has increased tremendously in this period, GSM collar. Another female that had a dys- probably been killed by herders. Children resulting in frequent human-lion conflicts. To functional collar was re-collared during this from the village found the collar along a ensure the survival of the lion in Waza NP and period. A VHF-transmitter system attached to regularly used cattle track, just outside the in the entire region, management needs to each collar enabled direct detections of the park boundaries. The collar had been sawn implement effective measures to reduce the lions in the field through telemetry. GPS loca- through to remove it from the lion’s neck. pressure from humans and their livestock. tions stored every half hour in a memory were downloaded with a hand held station. Three Killing of lion ‘Adam’ Increase in poaching collared research lions were lost to illegal re- On 29 April 2008 while doing telemetry on Two students who worked in Waza NP from taliatory killings during 2008 and 2009; while the highest inselberg in Waza we received a January until June 2009 came across four ac- search efforts for a male lion collared in May signal from one of our research lions named tive poacher campsites with fireplaces (Fig.1) 2008 have been unsuccessful. Adam. He was collared in May 2007. By fol- and equipment such as cooking pots, clothing,
CATnews 50 Spring 2009