Jharkhand's Palamu Tiger Reserve Sees Leopard Population Soar to Over 150

• Jharkhand's forests, especially Palamu Tiger Reserve (PTR), show a significant increase in leopard population.
• Recent assessments indicate over 150 leopards in PTR, a major jump from 36-50 in 2018 and around 50 in 2023-24.
• Leopard presence confirmed in multiple districts including Godda, Jamshedpur, Hazaribagh, Ranchi, Chatra, and Kolhan.
• Tiger estimation exercise is underway, with PTR as the nodal center for compiling data on carnivores like leopards and hyenas.
• Rising leopard numbers raise concerns about human-wildlife conflict, following past fatal attacks in Garhwa and Latehar.

Why It Matters: Leopard population in Jharkhand's Palamu Tiger Reserve has significantly increased, posing both conservation success and conflict challenges.