Man vs. wild in burgeoning Bengaluru Premium

Bengaluru's urban landscape now includes leopards, as rapid expansion eats into animal habitats. People must learn to co-exist, as wildlife experts receive 100+ calls/day for help. Leopards were sighted at Kudlu Gate, Nelamangala, and NICE Road. Villagers near Bannerghatta & Muthathi forest range have learnt to live with animals, but urbanites must do the same. Take precautionary steps & ensure effective garbage disposal & removal of feral dogs.

It is common to hear about elephants, wild boars, peacocks, monkeys, and spotted deer destroying agricultural crops in villages near reserved forests. Now, this conflict has set foot in Bengaluru, India’s IT city. Wildlife experts here receive more than 100 calls every day seeking help to rescue snakes, macaques, owls, and fruit bats, and to remove hornets’ nests and bee hives. As the city rapidly expands, eating into animal habitats, leopards are the latest addition to the urban landscape.

Last month, three leopards were sighted in Bengaluru, one of which was shot dead. Activists say the frequency of sightings may increase, and people must learn to co-exist.

After a leopard was sighted and killed near Kudlu Gate in Singasandra, a sense of fear gripped residents in the vicinity. When a video of a big cat captured on a surveillance camera started doing the rounds, people stopped walking in the morning and evening hours. Shopkeepers were pulling down shutters at 8 p.m. People who used to take the road that the leopard crossed chose to ride or drive through the next street. Although there was relief after the animal was shot dead by Forest Department officials, many continue to exercise caution.

Pushpa K.S., who runs a medical shop, said, “People are now scared to venture out in the night thinking that another leopard might be lurking behind the bushes to hunt for stray dogs. There are many stray dogs here, which are easy prey for big cats.” Pushpa said senior citizens recall how the area was a forest before it was developed. Wildlife has been pushed further into Bannerghatta or into forest patches inside defence land.

Leopards were also sighted at Nelamangala and NICE Road. According to a forest official, the department has been receiving phone calls from Nelamangala about sightings, and cages have been placed to rescue the wild animal. “It also appears that the leopard population may have increased, but the department has no means to quantify this as no survey on leopards has been conducted in Bengaluru,” said the official.

Principal Chief Conservator of Forest Subhash K. Malkhede said that mere leopard sightings could be the basis for man-animal conflict. In NICE Road areas, leopards were sighted a decade back, and there was a board there that said it was a leopard crossing area.

“However, man-animal conflict is real, as development is consuming animal habitat. Earlier, on Bannerghatta Road, development went up to the Indian Institute of Management; and now it is up to Bannerghatta town. Bannerghatta National Park is located about 23 km from the Central Business District. The villages in Bannerghatta have been facing man-animal conflict,” he said.