54 leopards well and thriving in national park: Census

MUMBAI: The state forest department and Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) authorities have released the latest census figures of leopards, and revealed that there are a minimum of 54 leopards in the premises and surrounding landscapes. SGNP is one of the rare national parks that is surrounded by a metropolis and has survived despite high human interference.

The large-scale camera-trap survey was led by the Wildlife Conservation Society–India, and the Maharashtra forest department, aided by WeWork India Management Limited. “This reaffirms the city’s extraordinary story of coexistence between humans and big cats,” said a forest officer.

The survey, conducted between February and June 2024, spanned SGNP, Aarey Milk Colony, and the Tungareshwar Wildlife Sanctuary (TWLS). Teams deployed camera traps at 57 locations in SGNP and 33 locations in TWLS. Over 50 forest department staffers were closely involved throughout, with specialised training sessions conducted to build their capacity in wildlife monitoring.

In SGNP and Aarey Milk Colony, 54 individual leopards were identified, including 36 females and 16 males. In the case of two leopards, the gender could not be identified. Four leopard cubs were documented during the survey. A large part of Aarey Milk Colony was declared a protected forest during the tenure of the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi government.

Three adult male leopards were identified in TWLS. Three female leopards first photo-captured in 2015 were re-captured again in 2024, showing nine years of survival within SGNP.

The camera traps also recorded a rich diversity of mammals, including deer, sambars, jungle cats, palm civets, mouse deer and rusty-spotted cats. During the exercise, a significant incident highlighted the challenges faced by Mumbai’s leopards in navigating an increasingly urbanised landscape. A male leopard, initially photographed inside TWLS, travelled approximately nine kilometres across dense human settlements, major highways and railway lines to reach Vasai Fort—a testament to the adaptability and resilience of the big cats.

“The continued presence of these magnificent leopards in such a densely populated urban region speaks volumes about Nature’s resilience—and the importance of conserving the green spaces they depend on,” said SGNP’s field director Anita Patil. “Scientific monitoring exercises like this one are vital for understanding the status of our wildlife and planning informed conservation actions.”

SGNP had conducted a leopard census after COVID-19 but the reports were not published.