Leopards are critically endangered in Bangladesh as population dwindles
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- 30 Sep 2024
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The Indian leopard (Panthera pardus fusca), known locally as chitah bagh, is critically endangered in Bangladesh, with a dwindling population largely concentrated in the northern and northwestern regions near the Indian border. Over the past 14 years, at least 10 leopards have been killed in human-wildlife conflicts, as leopards often enter villages in search of food, leading to their deaths at the hands of locals.
Leopards are primarily found in the districts of Panchagarh, Thakurgaon, Kurigram, Lalmonirhat, and Nilphamari. Despite their presence in these areas, no cases of leopards attacking humans have been reported. However, once they enter human settlements, they rarely make it back to the wild. In February 2024, for example, a leopard was beaten to death in Panchagarh after entering a village.
There is speculation that these leopards might come from the bordering Indian districts of Jalpaiguri, Cooch Behar, and Alipurduar, where leopards coexist with humans in tea gardens. However, there is a lack of research on whether the leopards in Bangladesh are migrating from India or if a stable population exists locally.
According to the IUCN Bangladesh red list, leopards are critically endangered in the country, with a 90% reduction in their habitat range. Historically, leopards roamed across much of Bangladesh, except for the Sundarbans. They were once found in the forests of the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT), Madhupur Tract, Sylhet, and Cox's Bazar, but now are absent from the Sundarbans and most of the country's sal forests. Today, they are only occasionally spotted in tea gardens and the forests of Sylhet, Chattogram, and the CHT.
The primary causes of the population decline include habitat fragmentation, prey population decline, poaching, and human-wildlife conflicts. A 2023 study highlighted that leopards' natural habitats have become critically fragmented due to human activities such as illegal logging, forest encroachment, and shifting cultivation in the hills.
In the dense Kassalong reserve forest in the CHT, leopards and other endangered species still exist, but the area is largely inaccessible due to the presence of insurgent groups, preventing conservation efforts. Experts and forest officials stress the need for conservation initiatives in these regions, including systematic surveys to assess the actual status of leopard populations and improved conflict mitigation strategies.
