Roar for the leopard, Happy International Leopard Day

International Leopard Day is celebrated on the 3rd of May every year. In Nepal, It has not yet been celebrated to date, however, India is celebrating it since 2021.

Why International Leopard Day celebration?

In Life, and certainly, in nature, each species on earth has its unique role to play in maintaining ecological balance. In an ongoing attempt to increase awareness of the importance of this species and coexistence with leopards, this is a day that celebrates leopards and attempts to increase global awareness of their status as well as the threats that the Leopard population are faced.

Leopards are carnivore, elusive and nocturnal terrestrial animals found in 72 countries in the world. They are great climbers and hide in trees, where they hide their prey to avoid competition. In the context of Nepal, Leopards (Pantherapardus) are common in the forests of Nepal from terai to sedges of snow mountains. They can thrive in a variety of habitats from dense forests to human settlements. That's why these leopards can adapt to a variety of habitats. Studies showed the declining trend of the Leopard population in many parts of Africa and South Asia due to habitat loss and depletion of prey.  Its food consists of medium wild prey species such as Himalayan goral, Barking deer or Northern red muntjac, Wild boar, Jungle fowl, and Langur.

Human-induced habitat encroachment and prey base decline for leopards have forced them to live alongside human settlements, where they depend on domestic livestock resulting in human-leopard conflicts where human casualties, depredation of livestock, and in response retaliatory killing of leopards. Since the early 2000s, leopards have been the most targeted wild animals killed in retaliation during human-animal conflict incidents across the country, with rural hilly districts having the highest density of conflict incidents. Despite the severity of the issue, there is no current dedicated policy to effectively address and mitigate conflicts between humans and leopards, although the Government of Nepal's wildlife damage relief guidelines provides compensation for injuries or fatalities caused by leopard attacks on humans or livestock.

On International Leopard Day, various events and programs will be organized across Nepal to raise awareness about the plight of these big cats. These events aimed to educate the public about the importance of leopards and their role in maintaining the ecosystem. Additionally, school children were also taught about the importance of wildlife conservation and were encouraged to take part in the efforts to protect these majestic creatures.

In conclusion, International Leopard Day is an important occasion to raise awareness about the conservation of leopards. The country has taken significant steps to protect these big cats, but more needs to be done to ensure their survival. By coming together and working toward the conservation of leopards, we can ensure that these majestic creatures continue to thrive in their natural habitat.