An estimated 12,852 leopards were counted in the tiger range landscape in 2018, a significant increase from 2014 when the figure stood at 7,910 in forested habitats of 18 tiger-bearing states of the country.
A maximum of these leopards are found in Madhya Pradesh (3,421) followed by Karnataka (1,783), and Maharashtra (1,690), according to the ‘Status of Leopards, Co-Predators and Megha-herbivores in India 2018’ report released by Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav at an event to mark the Global Tiger Day on Thursday