DISPUR: Assam’s forest division has launched the state’s first leopard census to record the spotted cat’s habitat and routes, as well as create criteria for urban planning. The six-month program will include discussions with residents of urban towns and villages in the North Kamrup Forest Division. On the northern bank of the Brahmaputra River, facing Guwahati, the division covers urban, semi-urban, and rural districts.
Because of the increasing man-animal conflicts caused by rapid infrastructure development, Divisional Forest Officer Sunnydeo Choudhary stated that charting the leopard’s territories was vital. Leopards favour the jungle’s outskirts, and they frequently raid human settlements for sustenance. “The goal of this exercise was to study their population, habitat, and movement routes so that human settlements might be better planned,” he explained.
Every infrastructure project, according to Choudhary, reduces the leopard habitat in non-forest areas. “Once we have a good picture of the leopard’s status, we should be able to tell the government how to plan infrastructure investments,” he said. The preparatory work, which includes field visits, a sign study, and a public awareness campaign, has begun. Every seven days, data from roughly 50 cameras that will be installed in crucial locations will be collected.