Wildlife protection act 1972

Topic- wildlife conservation

Flora and fauna wildlife resources

Prelims GS1 mains Geography of India

Issues related to wildlife : there are few things that poses life threats to wildlife.

Chief wildlife warden

The act states that ' chief wildlife warden of the state, if he is satisfied that any wild animal specified in schedule 1 has become dangerous to human life or is so disabled or diseased as to be beyond recovery, by order in writing and stating the reason, therefore, permit any person to hunt such animal or cause such animal to be hunted.'
Chief wildlife warden, through the invocation of clause 11 (1) of the wildlife protection act 1972, can declare any wild animal as a threat to human life and as such fit to be destroyed.
The power was limited through an amendment in the act in 2003, with insertion in Section 9 that states " no wild animal shall be ordered to be killed unless the chief wildlife warden is convinced that such animal can not be captured, tranqiuilised or translocated".

Centre's 2011, "Guidelines for human leopard conflict management," focus on capturing rather than killing problematic leopard. It recommends capture either by a tranquilizer gun or in cage.

Most man eater leopards attacks between 6 and 8 P.m.
There is a change in behavior of leopard on looking human.
If a leopard is moving after 8 pm, it is generally not a man eater.
A man eater leopard comparatively not afraid of humans.
Mostly, leopards attack humans accidentally when they come in contact with them.
It has been difficult to check man animal conflict due to many factors such as hilly terain which provides ample space to leopards to hide to human settlements scattered in hills overlapping with the leopard territory.
It is easier to track a tiger than a leopard, as leopard moves in vast hilly terains while tiger generally live in grassy forest.
Leopard also targets pig, small cattle and dogs found near human settlements.

Cage capture: leopards are captured in a cage, are tested and killed if found eaten flesh of human or left out in forest if is innocent.
DNA testing: forest department is going to test the faecal matter of leopard which come into conflict with the humans. The technology of finiding human DNA in the faecal matter of carnivores to ascertain whether they have eaten humans flesh.

This will also check the killing of innocent leopards under pressure by the locals because leopards are also territorial and there may be more than one leopard in territory, which may be overlapping with the areas where people live.
This is good for the conservation of the leopards.
DNA analysis of its faecal matter that contains traces of human remains, comparison of pugmarks, using camera traps in areas and physically following the leopard trail for a significant period.
The testing of stools for human remains such as hair, and bones helps in establishing whether the leopard has killed a human or eaten flesh or any other body part.
Over 4000 people have been killed in leopard attacks since the state Uttarakhand was formed in 2000.
Human deaths in leopard attacks account for nearly half of the total deaths due to wild animal in Uttarakhand.
The territory of a leopard, depending on the food availability, can vary from 10-15 km2 to 35- 40 km2.
Leopard population : According to state wide leopard population estimation of 2008 leopard status in India was 2,335 :

Uttarakhand reported the maximum number of leopards 839 in tiger habitations among Shiwalic hills and Gangetic plains landscape.
Followed by Uttar Pradesh, 316 number
Bihar 98.

Schedule 1st

Mammals

Birds

Coelenterates:

Echinodermata

Schedule 2nd

Schedule 3rd

Schedule 4th

Schedule 5th

Schedule 6th

IASmanti⁵⁰