5 leopards to get radio collars as Maharashtra to begin 2-year SGNP trail

The state government has given its nod to a two-year project, to study the movement of leopards in and around Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) in Mumbai by radio-collaring (GPS collar) five leopards. The project was first discussed in 2016 and the final memorandum of understanding (MoU) is likely to be signed within this week. Till date, no leopard in and around SGNP has been radio-collared.

Based on a proposal by Wildlife Conservation Society - India (WCS), this is the first time such a project has been planned in a forest close to a large metropolitan area and a first for Mumbai. “After detailed consultations with various state departments, including the law and judiciary department, the joint research project between the forest department and WCS has been approved. The study will help understand leopard movement, how they use the habitat, their behaviour in the congested human-dominated landscape, and accordingly develop measures to protect these areas,” said Swapnil Deshbrathar, officer on special duty (wildlife wing), Mantralaya.

While the leopard population has been on the rise, their habitat has shrunk owing to several infrastructure and real estate projects eating into peripheral areas of the park. The number of free-roaming leopards at SGNP and Tungareshwar Wildlife Sanctuary (TWLS) increased to 47 last year from 41 in 2017 and 35 in 2015, according to a census report released in March. According to WCS researchers, there are 8-10 leopards on average moving outside the periphery of SGNP. Aarey Colony in Goregaon has six leopards.

“The state has approved the collaring of five leopards,” said Sunil Limaye, additional principal chief conservator of forest. GPS collars work by sending a signal to a satellite, which obtains the time and date of the signal sent from the collar. This information is transmitted back to researchers who can then investigate where the animal is and what it is doing. In 2009, leopards from Ahmednagar division were collared and one of them, Ajoba, walked 125 km from Malshej Ghat to Mumbai, highlighting the presence of a well-established corridor where leopards have access to 10,000 sq. km area from Mumbai Metropolitan Region all the way up till Tansa and Malshej Ghat.

The objectives of the proposed study would be to monitor the density of leopards in SGNP and TWLS; their movement outside protected areas such as Ghodbunder Road, Nagla Block, and Aarey Colony; and check for population parameters such as turn-over rates, survival, dispersal and movement within this landscape. “This is will be a unique project. Year-on-year analysis of census has been revealing the presence of new leopards in this region while no clear indication has been recorded for why some leopards have gone missing. Now, we will be able to find out where these animals are moving. The project is likely to be completed by 2021,” said Limaye.

Wildlife biologist Vidya Athreya, who is also a member of WCS, said work would start once the MoU is signed. “Previous instances of leopards being collared such as Ahmednagar district provided interesting and fulfilling results, and we hope this collaboration yields similar results,” said Athreya.

First Published: Aug 08, 2019 23:13 IST