This year the WPSI has reported 134 deaths due to poaching.
According to the WPSI, which works with government enforcement agencies to apprehend tiger and leopard poachers and traders, these figures represent only a fraction of the actual poaching and trade in leopard parts in India.
India has strong laws, the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, to protect wild animals, birds and plants.
Decline in forest cover and human pressure on land is forcing the leopard to prey on domestic animals. In retaliation, farmers are poisoning carcasses that leopards feed on, causing many more deaths
Poachers are also taking advantage of the situation since there is hardly any possibility of getting tiger skins or parts these days. Therefore, they are settling for the leopard. If you look at the quantum of seizures from poachers by the authorities, for every two tiger skins there are at least 20 leopard skins.
Leopard poaching statistics 1994-2010 :
http://www.wpsi-india.org/statistics/leopard.phphttp://sify.com/news/three-held-with-leopard-skins-news-national-khhtaeigfca.htmlTwo more leopard skins seized in Uttarakhand:
http://www.wpsi-india.org/news/09072010.phphttp://gulfnews.com/news/world/india/leopards-in-danger-of-extinction-experts-1.654996Your Honourable Minister Ramesh,
We the undersigned are writing to you because it has come to our attention that leopards have been dying due to being killed by poachers meant to be sold as ingredients in Oriental medicines. As this is not a common practice in India, we are asking you to stop this trafficking of animals in danger of extinction.
We ask you to increase the protection in the national parks to help save the panther from extinction.
We all hope that one day if we'll be there, we shall see the leopards prospering.
Thank you for reading this letter and we hope you will cooperate in saving these majestic creatures.
Yours sincerely,
