Current Situation of Leopard Conservation in Sri Lanka by Environmental Conservation group “Team Leopocon”

Statement on Current Situation of Leopard Conservation in Sri Lanka by Environmental Conservation group “Team Leopocon” 

It has been a day since another leopard that was trapped in a snare at a private land in Hathpitiya, Neluwa, was found dead by DWC officials. It appears that the animal had died 2-3 days ago with an attempt to hide the body, as its canine teeth and nails had been removed already by the time the officials recovered the carcass. With this incident, it is clear that the number of annual leopard deaths could be far greater than what is reported with much of the deaths going uncovered.

We, Team Leopocon have identified many loop holes in the current conservation process of the Department of Wildlife Conservation. For one, there is no proper consensus conducted to estimate the leopard population as we speak, and no proper leopard conservation program implemented by the department. The 2018 Auditor General Performance Report of the DWC indicated that “The Department had failed to introduce a proper procedure for the protection of leopards and their community growth or for the safety of leopards and the public.” (4.16 Other Fauna Species, 4.16.1 Sri Lankan Leopard).

Renowned leopard conservationists in the country say that above 20 leopard deaths are happening annually. They also state that many deaths go unseen and therefore these numbers can go up much higher than expected. Most of the deaths occur because of snaring, more in the central highlands than the dry zone. Deforestation, plantation expanding into protected wildlife areas, lack of natural pray are the major factors contributing to these tragic deaths. Another burning issue in the central hills is the unavailability of veterinary units, which in turn delays the arrival of the veterinarian to tranquilize and rescue the trapped animal. As a result, the panther that died on the 29th also had to be transported from Nallathanniya to Udawalawe for further treatment. This was the fourth time a melanistic leopard, also known a as panther, was killed by snares. It was rather unfortunate that the panther died within the vicinity of the officials three days after it was rescued. The tragic events within the past two weeks have led environmentalists and conservationists to question the current status of leopard conservation in Sri Lanka.

Team Leopocon is in the view that as the DWC should extend its services to include the leopard and improve its conservation with immediate effect. The government should have a proper legal process to protect these animals by improving the current legal aspects of wildlife protection. Further, we urge relevant authorities to revise existing laws and tighten terms on punishment for wildlife crimes.

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