Study: Big Cats Living in Urbanized Areas in India

A recent finding from the Wildlife Conservation Society claims that five large carnivores, including leopards and striped hyenas, are living in a human-dominated landscape, according to a news release.

This study was led by WCS-India scientist Vidya Athreaya. It was conducted in Western Maharashtra, India. By using camera traps, researchers noticed that the big cats roamed to human populated-areas and have managed to stay unnoticeable by the public. Despite such close proximity, there has been no incident of leopard attack reported.

Athreaya works with India's Center for Wildlife Studies and the Wildlife Conservation Society. She has been studying the interaction between leopards and humans for the past eight years, reports The Huffington Post.

Apart from this, the researchers also found the rusty spotted cat, small Indian civet, Indian fox, jungle cat, jackal and mongoose.

"Human attacks by leopards were rare despite a potentially volatile situation considering that the leopard has been involved in serious conflict, including human deaths in adjoining areas," said big cat expert Ullas Karanth of WCS in a press statement. "The results of our work push the frontiers of our understanding of the adaptability of both humans and wildlife to each other's presence."

Through this research finding, the authors emphasize on the need for conservationists to explore the regions outside the protected areas. They can then make a more holistic approach to protect wildlife in different landscapes.

The study, titled 'Big Cats in Our Backyards', is published in the March 6 edition of the journal PLOS One.