Context: Recently, TRAFFIC India conducted a study on the seizure and mortality of ‘common leopards’ (Panthera pardus fusca).
It revealed that of the total of 747 leopard deaths between 2015-2019 in India, 596 were linked to illegal wildlife trade and activities related to poaching.
Key Facts

• Indian Leopard: It is a leopard subspecies widely distributed on the Indian subcontinent.
• Habitat: It is distributed in India, Nepal, Bhutan and parts of Pakistan.
• IUCN Status: Vulnerable
• Threats: Habitat Destruction, Human-Animal Conflict and Illegal Wildlife Trade.

Key points of study

• The records indicated that 140 leopards were killed by poachers and their carcasses were recovered from the forest areas.
• Whereas body parts belonging to the equivalent of 456 leopards were seized during various operations by law enforcement agencies during the study period.
• The paper titled ‘‘SPOTTED’ in Illegal Wildlife Trade: A Peek into Ongoing Poaching and Illegal Trade of Leopards in India’ also revealed that the highest numbers of poaching incidents were reported from the States of Uttarakhand and Maharashtra. 

Causes

• Among all the derivatives found in illegal wildlife trade, skin remained the most in-demand product, accounting for 69% of all seizures, while derivatives like claws, teeth and bones were also traded.
• It is also believed that bones of the leopard are possibly traded as tiger bones as they have a larger international demand for traditional medicines
• IUCN Status-The conservation status of common leopards was elevated from ‘Near Threatened’ in 2008 to ‘Vulnerable’ in 2015 by the International Union of Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
• Leopards are threatened by increasing habitat destruction and human-wildlife conflict around the country arising out of shrinking habitats and illegal trade.

About TRAFFIC 

• TRAFFIC is a leading non-governmental organisation working globally on trade in wild animals and plants in the context of both biodiversity conservation and sustainable development.
• It is a joint program of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and IUCN.
• Its aim is to ensure that trade in wild plants and animals is not a threat to the conservation of nature.
• TRAFFIC investigates and analyses wildlife trade trends, patterns, impacts and drivers to provide the leading knowledge base on trade in wild animals and plants.