The project – a joint initiative of the forest department, district administration, GMDA and MCG – aims at creating a 15km jungle trail between the two points, which sweep across the south of Gurgaon and are vulnerable to transgressions by private landowners flouting rules that ban construction in the area.
The leopard park, which will be developed along the lines of the Jhalana Leopard Safari Park in Jaipur, is seen as a long-term solution to reduce incidents of the big cats straying into the city.
Leopard park may offer safari too; study will begin soon, says GMDA
There have been several such instances over the past few years, triggering brutal episodes of human-animal conflict – like the lynching of a leopard in Mandawar in 2016 – and tragedies like hit-and-run accidents, which have claimed the lives of 12 big cats in 15 years.
The authorities will now commission an organisation to carry out a study of the Aravalis by March next year. TOI had in July this year reported that such a project was in the works.
The study’s findings will be submitted to the Aravali Rejuvenation Board for preparing an action plan. The board – which discussed the proposal last week – is headed by the deputy commissioner and comprises officials from the district administration, HSPCB and mining and forest departments, among others. It is tasked with protecting the Aravali hills from mining and environmental damage.
Officials said the leopard conservation zone would have watering holes for animals and solar pumps for water supply, apart from camera traps and grasslands of indigenous species.
“A watch tower and interpretation centre are also likely to be set up. Once these facilities are developed and we get government approval, we will consider starting a leopard safari in this area, along the lines of the safari in Jhalana,” a senior GMDA official said.
Officials from various government departments and development authorities in the city will be taken on a tour of the Jhalana leopard park in November. This will be sponsored by GMDA.
“Regulated eco-tourism and wildlife awareness creation without disturbing the natural habitat is very crucial. Simultaneously, conservation of native flora and fauna with the participation of the local community will help in avoiding man-animal conflict in the region and provide employment opportunities too,” GMDA chief executive officer PC Meena said.
Leopards move between the Aravalis in Gurgaon and Faridabad, the Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary in Delhi and the Sariska Tiger Reserve in Rajasthan.
The route, however, is heavily fragmented as urban colonies have made inroads into the cat territory, deepening the human-leopard conflict. The number of confirmed leopard sightings in Gurgaon and adjoining districts has increased from two each in 2020 and 2021 to four in 2022 and five so far this year.
Last year, several societies along Golf Course Road had issued advisories to residents to stay indoors after the reported sighting of a leopard.
This January, leopards that had wandered into Asola gave birth to two cubs, a first for the sanctuary. And in July, a goatherd at Kotla village in Nuh mistook two leopard cubs as kittens, rescued them from barking dogs and took them home.
A survey by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) in 2017 had shown a significant presence of wildlife and confirmed the presence of 10 carnivores in the south Haryana Aravalis, which include Gurgaon, Faridabad, Nuh, Palwal, Mahendergarh and Rewari districts. The population of leopards was 31 in the area – which was a four-fold rise since the last survey in 2012, when the leopard count was eight.
Former WII director Vinod B Mathur said it was not the leopards that were venturing into human territory, but the other way round. “The authorities need to ensure more green spaces for wildlife. We need to take appropriate mitigation measures while setting up development projects to sustain not only leopards but other carnivores and biodiversity,” he said, adding that conflict arises when green spaces disappear, leaving no place for the animals to hide.