Livestock Depredation by Leopards, Associated Economic Losses, and Financial Compensation to Communities in Chhota Udepur District of Central Gujarat, India

Authors

Shalu Mesaria, WCB Research Foundation, Patan, Gujarat, IndiaFollow
Pratik Desai, Hemchandracharya North Gujarat University, Patan, Gujarat, IndiaFollow
Shruti Patel, Hemchandracharya North Gujarat University, Patan, Gujarat, IndiaFollow
Dhaval Gadhavi, Deputy Conservator of Forests, ChhotaUdepur Forest Division, ChhotaUdepur, Gujarat, IndiaFollow
Anthony J. Giordano, S.P.E.C.I.E.S.–The Society for the Preservation of Endangered Carnivores and their International Ecological Study, Ventura, CA, USAFollow
Nishith Dharaiya, Hemchandracharya North Gujarat University, Patan, Gujarat, IndiaFollow

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Abstract

Livestock depredation by large carnivores has been documented across the entire Indian subcontinent. The failure of managers to mitigate livestock losses in landscapes dependent on subsistence agriculture poses a threat to the conservation of carnivores. For much of Gujarat, a western Indian state characterized by extensive semi-arid habitats, the Indian leopard (Panthera pardus fusca) is considered an apex predator. Increasing regional leopard populations in response to protection efforts has led to more attacks on humans, along with an increase in rates of livestock depredation. In many cases, the regional forest department financially compensates livestock owners for depredation caused by leopards. Herein, we report on data we collected on leopard-caused livestock depredations in the Chhota Udepur district of Gujarat for 2019–2020. Between November 2020 and March 2021, we recorded 104 distinct cases of leopard depredations that resulted in 134 livestock mortalities. Most attacks occurred in the middle of the night, with the greatest frequency occurring between 2100 and 0400 hours (n = 53). Interestingly, livestock depredations by leopards appeared to occur more in the monsoon season (66%) than during the drier seasons (Fisher’s least significant difference [LSD], P < 0.05). We also found that not everyone enduring losses to leopards received full compensation for the value of their animals. Livestock kept in corrals at night were more vulnerable to leopard attack (R² = 38.6, P = 0.01) compared to free-ranging livestock foraging by day in farms and forests. We recommend that livestock compensation claims filed by communities be investigated and processed quickly and that compensation be based on fair value for domestic animals lost. To better understand the drivers of human–leopard conflict, we also encourage rigorous surveys of potential leopard prey species in forested areas adjacent to conflict hotspots as well as research to identify the most effective methods communities might use to safeguard their livestock.

Recommended Citation

Mesaria, Shalu; Desai, Pratik; Patel, Shruti; Gadhavi, Dhaval; Giordano, Anthony J.; and Dharaiya, Nishith (2023) "Livestock Depredation by Leopards, Associated Economic Losses, and Financial Compensation to Communities in Chhota Udepur District of Central Gujarat, India," Human–Wildlife Interactions: Vol. 17: Iss. 1, Article 8.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.26077/5242-8408
Available at: https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/hwi/vol17/iss1/8