Mumbai, a city of more than 20 million people, has accomplished an ecological milestone that few would anticipate. According to a recent scientific study, the city now has the highest population of leopards worldwide. This sizable population of big cats, which is concentrated in and around the Sanjay Gandhi National Park, coexists closely with people, which is unheard of in any significant urban area worldwide.
According to a recent study, Mumbai currently has the densest leopard population in the world, with 54 animals living in and around Sanjay Gandhi National Park, and other areas like Film City and Aarey Milk Colony. Using a camera-trap survey that covered an area of 140 sq km, researchers were able to identify each leopard by its distinct rosette pattern.
Mumbai has more adult leopards than any other protected forest reserve in the world, with about 12 per 100 sq km. Given the close proximity to thriving human settlements, these numbers are even more astounding, indicating that this is an uncommon instance of high-density carnivore presence in an urban setting.
The National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS), the Maharashtra Forest Department, and the Wildlife Conservation Society (India) collaborated to provide this population estimate. Over the course of a 60-day monitoring period, more than 100 video traps were placed in a variety of environments, ranging from the interiors of deep forests to the outskirts of cities. To determine densities with great precision, the researchers employed spatial capture-recapture models.
Leopards have demonstrated a remarkable ability to avoid direct human interaction despite their density. In order to migrate between green areas and locate prey, they use underpasses, drainages, and forest pathways. Feral dogs, pigs, and other small mammals make up a consistent prey base that helps to facilitate this coexistence.
The study attributes the high leopard population to biological corridors like Aarey, prey availability, and continuous forest patches. These characteristics let leopards move and survive. But as development picks up speed, these habitats' interconnectedness and quality are being threatened.
Authorities have been advised by researchers to implement long-term conservation plans that incorporate public awareness, scientific monitoring, and habitat protection. Effective land-use planning and the maintenance of green corridors, which permit wildlife to roam freely and flourish without encountering people, are essential to the future of Mumbai's leopard population.
Mumbai challenges conventional notions of urban biodiversity by providing a unique example of large carnivores coexisting in a megacity. Scientists warn that the approach is brittle and needs ongoing community involvement and policy support to be sustainable.
