In a recent report on the 'Status of Leopards in India 2022,' Maharashtra has secured the second position in the country with a leopard population of 1,985, trailing behind Madhya Pradesh's 3,907. This marks a notable increase from the 2018 count of 1,690 leopards, indicating a rise of 295 in just four years.

The report highlights that a significant proportion, 75%, of the leopard population in Maharashtra resides outside the Protected Area (PA) network. The Vidarbha region, known for its Tiger Reserves like Bor, Tadoba-Andhari, Nawegaon-Nagzira, Pench, and Melghat, houses a substantial leopard population. Additionally, it encompasses sanctuaries such as Painganga, Tipeshwar, Umred-Pauni-Karhandla, and extensive forest patches in territorial forest divisions like Chandrapur, Central Chanda, Wardha, Yavatmal, and Gadchiroli.

The leopard density in Vidarbha is described as moderate to high, with notable increases in the Chandrapur and Bramhapuri territorial divisions, Melghat, and Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserves (TATR) compared to the 2018 estimates nationwide. However, this growth in leopard numbers comes with its set of challenges.

The report underlines two major threats faced by leopards in Maharashtra – escalating incidents of man-animal conflicts and targeted poaching for the leopards' body parts. Among the territorial divisions, Chandrapur, Bramhapuri, and TATR have witnessed the highest instances of man-animal conflicts in recent times, posing a challenge for conservation efforts