Help Save the Last Leopards of Mumbai from Catastrophe

1. Introduction:

I am a passionate lover of wildlife and specially of all Big Cats who is extremely concerned about the status, health, welfare, and future of spotted leopards and their cubs in Sanjay Gandhi National Park and areas adjacent to Sanjay Gandhi National Park like Film City Goregaon, Ghodbunder area of Thane, forested tracts in and around mulund and dombivli and the forest tract in and around yeoor hills that is connected to S.G.N.P.

It is disastrous and distressing to note that there are now in 2010 only 20 spotted leopards or less in and around S.G.N.P. after the latest census conducted last year in September 2009.

This is truly a ‘Catastrophe of Epidemic Proportions’ as far as these Regal Big Cats are concerned.

Why has this disastrous situation come upon these leopards of S.G.N.P. ??

Let me go back a few years, if I may. In 2003, a healthy population of 42 leopards existed in and around S.G.N.P. and its surrounding areas. Unfortunately, because of ‘massive encroachment’ in S.G.N.P. encouraged by anti-social elements; large tracts of forest land have been destroyed by these encroachers resulting in a depleted prey base for these ‘Big Cats’.


2. Some Facts with regard to the decline of spotted leopards at S.G.N.P. :

To make matters worse, ‘Rampant Urbanization’ of the northern and north-western suburbs of Mumbai have claimed the lives of a number of leopards in reckless road accidents specially in and around powai, ghodbunder road of thane, and a host of other areas.

It is impossible to understand why ‘forest officials’ have been so laidback in taking action against encroachers at S.G.N.P. when the Honourable High Court of Mumbai has been issuing orders against encroachers for a number of years.

Criminals who kill spotted leopards in these senseless road accidents are never brought to book and this terrible situation has been getting from bad to worse with every passing day, month, and year.

So, what can be done to remedy this situation and make life better for leopards in their current habitat ??

3) Helpful Pointers:

First, we need to ensure that the habitat of these awesome leopards is free from all kinds of ‘anti- social encroachers’ who have laid waste to S.G.N.P. over the past 25 years.

This can be done in a number of ways.

a) A Fence should be built around the periphery of S.G.N.P. and watch towers with Forest Guards armed with rifles should be provided to prevent smuggling of timber and bamboo for which anti- socials move freely within S.G.N.P.

This will also deter would be poachers and illicit distillers who have made large parts of S.G.N.P. their virtual home.

b) Tribal settlements must be moved out of S.G.N.P. purely for the welfare of wildlife.

c) Efforts should be made to drive away domestic cattle from the immediate forest area as these cattle graze on flora meant for herbivorous wild denizens like spotted deer and barking deer who have declined at S.G.N.P. thus forcing carnivorous big cat predators to venture out of S.G.N.P. looking for easy prey as has happened with leopards who have been found in villages and urban neighborhoods that surround S.G.N.P.

d) The Balance of herbivores and carnivores should be maintained so as to create a chain for the healthy existence of the forest ecosystem. In short, S.G.N.P. is the lifeline of ‘Polluted Mumbai’ and it is rightly called the green lungs of Mumbai.
Spotted Leopards are a vital cog in the forest ecosystem and specially at S.G.N.P. where they are the ‘Flagship Species’.

As, concerned dwellers of the city of Mumbai we need to do something immediately to save the last leopards of mumbai who are declining rapidly.

4. Conclusion:

To do this, we need to first save the habitat of ‘spotted leopards’ namely S.G.N.P. which is invaluable and priceless for its beautiful flora and fauna specially deer like Chital, Sambar, Barking Deer, etc.

We need to make sure that these leopards who reside in and around S.G.N.P. have a constant prey rich habitat of various kinds of deer like barking deer and chital.

More importantly, steps should be taken to ensure that these leopards do not venture out of S.G.N.P. in search of prey like dogs near tribal villages or urban towns in thane, dombivli, mulund, kandivli, etc.

To save the last leopards of Mumbai, action needs to be taken immediately against encroachers who have devastated large parts of S.G.N.P. and surrounding forests. We can no longer allow encroachers who are actively destroying and setting fire with every passing month to the habitat of these regal leopards.

Strict action needs to be taken against anti-social elements who move about with impunity in certain areas of S.G.N.P.

Additionally, shooting of T.V.Serials and Films within areas adjacent to the core area of S.G.N.P. should be banned with immediate effect. Shooting of T.V. Serials and Films which is usually accompanied by a lot of noise and commotion can result in traumatic consequences for ‘Big Cat Predators’.

Hence, none of this should be allowed so that Big Cat Predators and their prey have peace to eat and to breed respectively.

Let me now end on an ‘optimistic note’. Regarded by a number of naturalists and wildlife biologists as the most adaptable of India’s Big Cats, the leopard in a place like S.G.N.P. in Borivli surrounded by rampant and massive urbanization is still trying to survive in the best way it can.

What is really essential in Mumbai right now is the need to promote ‘Leopard Conservation’ like never before. Also, strong political will go a long way in saving the last leopards of Mumbai.


Internet References and Credits

1. Animal Harm by Alpita Masurkar
Mumbai Mirror – Saturday, May 9, 2009



2. An unacceptable catastrophe by Yogesh Naik
Times of India – Times City, September 8, 2009