Bengaluru: The recent research report has revealed that the death of Leopards in Karnataka has increased due to the electric fencing installed on the small forest lands, areca nut farms, sugar cane farms in the state of Karnataka in India.
A team comprising of wildlife scientists Dr Sanjay Gubbi Aparna Kolekar and Dr Vijaykumar has exposed this fact in their report after conducting the research across the state.
The valuation of the leopards which caught in the fencing and died in the past 12 years has been made. According to the research report, a total of 67 leopards (59%) died among total of 113 cases of leopards trucking in the fencing.
Among the dead leopards, 97.5 per cent were trapped and died in fences that were set to hunt the wild boar while 50 per cent of leopards died by trucking into the fencing that was installed to protect the various crops.
Most of the leopards that died are in Dakshina Kannada, Mysuru, Chikka Mangaluru, Udupi, Hassan, Ramnagar, Chamraj Nagar districts of the state. Only 9.5 per cent of leopards die in the protected national parks, reserved forests.
The report revealed that on average six leopards are dying because of the fencing every year. But about six leopards dieing by hitting of vehicle, four due to the fight between two leopards, one leopard by falling into the open well.
The research report has been published in the ‘Tropical conservation Science’ a science magazine.
