Occurrence and conservation of the Indian Leopard (Mammalia: Carnivora: Felidae: Panthera pardus) in Cox’s Bazar District of Bangladesh

Abstract

A study on the occurrence and conservation measures of the Indian Leopard (Panthera pardus Meyer, 1794) was carried out between July 2012 and March 2014, through direct visual observation and sign survey. This study was an opportunistic finding during biodiversity survey of the Inani Reserved Forest in Cox’s Bazar District of Bangladesh. The Indian leopard is a less known carnivore species, which has no recent confirmed record in Bangladesh. Direct observation in one place and the pugmark of leopards were identified from three places of the Inani Reserved Forest. Maximum and minimum length, and width of the pugmark were 8.7cm and 8.2cm, and 8.7cm and 7.1cm respectively; range of length of heel pad was 5.5cm to 5.0cm. There was only one sighting record and roaring/growling like haw-a-haw-ahaw howling was also heard once during the field visits. Illegal encroachments, fire, fuel and timber wood collections, beetle-leaf vineyard, and wildlife poaching are major identified threats for the conservation of the biodiversity of Inani Reserved Forest.

Keywords

• carnivores
• cox’s bazar south forest division
• inani
• mammals
• pugmark.