Bengaluru’s leopard count rises, beats Mumbai to become the ‘leopard capital’

Holématthi Nature Foundation's camera-trap survey reveals Bengaluru as the metropolis with the highest number of wild leopards.

A year-long camera-trap survey by Holématthi Nature Foundation (HNF), led by conservation biologist Dr. Sanjay Gubbi, has revealed that the forests and scrublands fringing Bengaluru harbour an estimated 80–85 wild leopards.

With this, Bengaluru now surpasses Mumbai’s documented population of around 54 leopards and becomes the large metropolis with the highest known number of free-ranging big cats, according to a statement by the Foundation.

It is also the only metro whose fringes still support an ensemble of tigers, leopards, dholes, elephants, gaur, sambar and other large mammals.

The survey spotted 54 individuals inside Bannerghatta National Park (BNP) and around 30 of them roaming reserved, deemed and private forests scattered across the metropolitan periphery.

The team deployed more than 250 camera traps across 282 sqkm of mixed habitat — Turahalli, Turahalli Gudda, B.M. Kaval, U.M. Kaval, Roerich Estate, Gollahalli Gudda, Sulikere, Hesaraghatta, Marasandra, Manduru and adjoining government and private lands — as well as throughout BNP.

Besides leopards, 34 mammal species were photo-captured, four of them Endangered and four Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List.

“Twenty two species fall under Schedule I and five under Schedule II of India’s Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972 — underscoring the national and global importance of safeguarding Bengaluru’s remaining natural habitat,” said the statement.