Conservationists estimate that about 10,000 leopards in India remain in the wild. For over a year, there has been a noticeable increase in the killing of leopards. But the massive haul of leopard parts and skins last week shocked conservationists and wildlife authorities. Each big cat has 18 claws, five each on the hind foot and four on each front foot. This seizure points to the biggest wildlife crime witnessed in the recent past.
Leopards are less protected than tigers as they often move out of the sanctuaries in search of food.
In the hills of Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh in the lower Himalayas, leopards have been known to lift farm cattle, inviting the wrath of the villagers and tribal people living on the periphery of the forests. Since the livestock of the villagers is sometimes killed by these carnivores, the villagers feel justified in poisoning the leopards. Also, reports of increased poaching are pouring in from the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. Since the animals always return to finish their prey, it is easy for the villagers to poison the big cats. Singh and his team of officials have arrested four people, all engaged in the tannery business.