Black Leopard Movement Captured by Forest Department Cameras in Odisha’s Sundargarh

Sundargarh: The Forest Department of Odisha confirmed the presence of a black leopard in the Garjan hill area of Dhanu Baunsa reserve forest, located in Sundargarh district. This confirmation comes after the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) for Wildlife had earlier asserted the existence of black leopards in various forests across Odisha.

According to reports, the Forest Department revealed that the movement of the black leopard was captured by trap cameras installed in the reserve forest. These cameras were initially set up as part of the tiger census exercise conducted in 2023. Notably, the last sighting of a black leopard in the same reserve forest dates back to 2018.

Sanjib Panda, the Assistant Conservator of Forests (ACF) for Sundargarh, stated, “We had deployed 25 trap cameras during the all-Odisha tiger census. Subsequently, images of a black leopard were recorded by one of these cameras.”

Furthermore, the Forest Department has initiated an investigation to ascertain the presence of other tigers within the reserve forest area.

PCCF Susanta Nanda had previously remarked, “Camera evidence confirms the survival of black leopards in Odisha. During the tiger census, we obtained evidence of black leopards at three different locations. Additionally, there are further indications of their presence in other parts of the state.”