CONTEXT

• Bengaluru’s outskirts, especially around Bannerghatta National Park (BNP), are witnessing increased leopard presence amidst growing urbanisation.
• The findings hold key implications for wildlife conservation policy, especially in peri-urban landscapes.

CONCEPT

• Urban Wildlife Interface: Leopards (Panthera pardus) are adapting to fragmented habitats, agricultural lands, and even private layouts due to habitat shrinkage.
• Biodiversity Hotspot:
  • 80–85 leopards recorded in a 282 sq km area.
  • Coexistence with 4 endangered species: Tiger, Dhole, Elephant, Indian Pangolin.
  • 34 mammal species identified in total; 22 under Schedule I, 5 under Schedule II of Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
• Monitoring Method:
  • Over 250 camera traps used.
  • Spatially Explicit Capture-Recapture (SECR) method helped estimate population and density.
  • Unique rosette patterns on leopards used for identification.

CURRENT

• Leopard population trend in BNP:
  • 2019: 40 → 2020: 47 → 2025: 54 (↑ due to protection, prey recovery, and past translocations).
• Urban Pressure:
  • Bengaluru now encroaches BNP’s northern boundary, leaving no buffer zone.
  • Habitat conflict rising due to decline in natural prey, leading to livestock predation.
• Conservation Recommendations:
  • Notify BM Kaval, UM Kaval, Roerich Estate, Gollahali Gudda as conservation reserves.
  • Expand BNP by adding Durga Dhakal RF, Bettahalliwade Block B, and deemed forests.
  • Secure Muneshwara–Bannerghatta corridor and enhance community outreach.
• Ecological Importance:
  • Bannerghatta acts as a link to Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary (CWS) and forests in Tamil Nadu, enabling genetic diversity and dispersal.