India has 13,874 leopards, with the heart of the country — Madhya Pradesh — having the largest number of its third-biggest felid, a landmark report released by the Centre on February 29, 2024 showed. The pan-India population of the Indian leopard (Panthera pardus fusca) was estimated at 13,874 (Range: 12,616–15,132) individuals. This represented a stable population in comparison to the similar area being sampled in 2018 with 12,852 (12,172-13,535) individuals, an official statement added. “This estimate represents population of 70 per cent of leopard habitat; the Himalayas and semi-arid parts of country which are not tiger habitat were not sampled,” the statement noted.
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