Status and Ecological Correlates of Occurrence of Leopard Panthera Pardus (Linnaeus, 1758) In Bhaktapur District, Nepal

Abstract

Understanding and conservation of wildlife species sustaining in human land use types, is challenging. Moreover, large cats are viewed as icons of wilderness (Athreya, 2014). The large cat species like leopard in human dominated area have attracted a great attention. The study was done with the main objective to the ecological correlate of the occurrence of leopard in the isolated forest area of Bhaktapur and human leopard conflict of leopard. For ecological variables line transects were carried out inside forest selecting some ecological parameters like density of trees, distance to water and settlements, mean height of trees, number of vegetation strata, presence of prey, canopy cover, and ground cover. Canopy cover, mean height of trees and ground cover were estimated while near distance to water bodies and settlement were pointed through GPS. Similarly, the social survey was conducted through questionnaire taking distance more or less 100-200 meters of adjacent to the forest edges. This study implied that parameter distance to water, canopy cover and density of trees species show most essential factors. Similarly, the stray dogs become victims followed by goats considering as conflict in villages. Therefore, many villagers think positive toward leopard. The night period found to be more active and prevalent time followed by evening period.