Kashmir officials start radio collaring of leopards
March 19th, 2012 - 9:53 pm ICT by IANSSrinagar, March 19 (IANS) Wildlife protection officials at the Dachigam National Park near Srinagar Monday started radio collaring of leopards to understand the home range and behavioural patterns of leopards in Jammu and Kashmir.
Imtiyaz Ahmad Lone, wildlife warden (Central Kashmir) told IANS: “Radio collaring of a leopard has been done for the first time in the state today. By radio tracking of the leopard, we intend to study the home range, behavioural patterns etc. of these animals in the wild so that the growing problem of man-animal conflict is better addressed.”
Earlier, the wildlife protection officials had fixed a radio collar on a bear in the Dachigam National Park.
Due to shrinking of their natural habitat, wild animals have been coming in direct conflict with human beings in Kashmir.
“During the last five years, 127 persons have lost their lives in wild animal attacks while 1,311 others sustained injuries in these attacks,” the wildlife warden said.
Besides coming down into human habitations, predators like leopards and bears have also been attacking the highly endangered Hangul in the Dachigam National Park.
A rare species of red deer, Hangul are found only in Kashmir. Their dwindling numbers have sounded alarm bells among conservationists all over the World.
At present, the Hangul population is believed to have come down to just 214 animals found only inside the Dachigam National Park.
- Leopard caught in Srinagar - Dec 24, 2011
- Deforestation, human intervention threatens Dachigam national park in J-K - Oct 18, 2009
- Ansari visits Dachigam National Park - Sep 17, 2012
- J-K wildlife officials arrange food for Hangul - Jan 03, 2011
- Endangered Hangul stag population rising in Kashmir Valley - Nov 14, 2010
- Villagers take lessons in saving Kashmir's rare deer - Nov 27, 2011
- Hot on trail of a Himachal leopard - with GPS - Oct 26, 2010
- With 200 tigers, Corbett turns a proud 75 (With Image) - Sep 11, 2011
- A sheep farm vs Kashmir's dwindling Hanguls (With Images) - Feb 28, 2012
- Barking dogs attract leopards from wild - Oct 10, 2011
- A rehabilitation centre for black bears comes up in Kashmir - Feb 23, 2010
- Wild animals kill 22 in Himachal - Mar 21, 2012
- Man-animal conflict: Assam forms response teams - Mar 30, 2012
- Leopard tranquilised, shifted to Kashmir's Dachigam National Park - Mar 03, 2010
- Kashmir draws up ambitious plan to preserve red deer - Mar 08, 2010
Tags: ahmad, alarm bells, behavioural patterns, conservationists, dachigam national park, hangul, imtiyaz, jammu and kashmir, kashmir, leopard, leopards, man animal, natural habitat, predators, radio collar, rare species, red deer, wild animal attacks, wild animals, wildlife protection