A recent report by the Wildlife Conservation Society, based on leopard sightings as shown in the media, places Bengaluru among the sub-districts where the leopard has been frequently spotted. Researchers have perused through media reports over a year, and found that much of the city, and particularly, its southern regions had reported the presence of leopards.
Leopard expert Vidya Athreya, who authored the report, said it wasn’t surprising for leopards to be present on the outskirts of the city when Bengaluru was bordered by forests and reserve forests. “Leopards are bound to enter these areas because these are prey-rich: there is a lot of garbage attracting rodents and a lot of dogs. Instead of reacting to instances of leopard sighting, there should be a proactive approach to research them and take precautions in these areas,” she said.
While leopards do not attack human beings, crowding and presence of a large number of people around the feline tend to scare them into aggression, she said.
