Wildlife monitoring network TRAFFIC India has revealed a study on the epileptic and mortality of common leopards (Panthera pardus fusca). Titled as: ‘SPOTTED’ in Illegal Wildlife Trade: A Peek into Ongoing Poaching and Illegal Trade of Leopards in India.
TRAFFIC:
TRAFFIC stands for leading NGO working globally monitoring trade for wild animals and plants with respect to biodiversity conservation and sustainable development.
A non-governmental organisation is leading as per the protection of the ecosystem, which is a necessary part of balanced human life. It is a mutual beneficiary organisation coordinates in between World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Key Findings:
According to these, the study analyses that, the total of 747 leopard deaths between 2015-2019 in India, 596 links with illegal wildlife trade and activities related to poaching.
Uttarakhand and Maharashtra credited the record for highest poaching. Among all the primitives found in illicit wildlife trade, skin stands for the most demanding product, accounts for 69% of all seizures, where derivatives like claws, teeth and bones.
Skeleton of these vertebrates have a broader international demand for traditional medicines. The records indicate 140 leopards killed by poachers and the body of those slaughtered animals recovered from the forest areas.
Whereas body parts equivalent to 456 leopards were seized during various operations by law enforcement agencies during the study period.
The paper titled ‘‘SPOTTED’ in Illegal Wildlife Trade speaks for A Peek into Ongoing Poaching and Illegal Trade of Leopards in India’ also states the highest number of poaching incidents were reported from the States of Uttarakhand and Maharashtra.
Concern:
Shrinking habitats: Leopards feel the state of vulnerable by increasing habitat destruction and human-wildlife incompatibility around the country arising out of reflexive jerking in habitats and illegal trade.
Indefinitely the other triumph concern raised in the paper is the incidence of live animal trade involving leopard cubs seizures in Chennai and in Maharashtra.
The conservation position of common leopards has been checked increasing from ‘Near Threatened’ from2008 to ‘Vulnerable’ by 2015 by the International Union of Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Its high time to increase our concern and protection toward these endangered species. They form and give the status of proud conservation and year-long preservation of them with asymmetric graph look.
Written By- Mousami Jena
Image courtsey: Google
