Living with leopards in the Himalayas
Summary
Leopards in Nepal's mid-hills, thriving due to community forest conservation, increasingly come into conflict with humans and livestock as their habitat expands uphill due to climate change.
Key Points
- Leopards in Nepal's mid-hills cause the highest number of human deaths among large mammals between 2000 and 2020.
- Community forest programs have restored leopard habitats leading to increased human-leopard conflicts in agricultural areas.
- Climate change is expanding leopard habitats to higher elevations, increasing conflict risks with humans.
- Various global strategies like predator-proof husbandry, studded collars, and relief funds are explored to mitigate human-leopard conflicts.
