696 Leopards Live in Odisha: Forest Dept’s 1st Census Report

Bhubaneswar: As per the first-ever leopard census conducted in Odisha, there are 696 leopards in the state. This independent leopard census was conducted by the Odisha Forest Department.

As per the report of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) in February 2022, there were 568 leopards in Odisha at that time. In 2018, the leopard population in Odisha was 760.

To allay doubts related to these numbers quoted by the NTCA, the state Forest Department took up its own leopard enumeration.

This leopard census used camera traps by using 284 cameras strategically placed at various forest areas. The census involved analysis of photographs, pugmarks, and other tracking methods.