On March 5, the Divisional Forest Officer of Dibrugarh in Assam, issued a public advisory following leopard sightings within the city, highlighting the escalating human-wildlife conflict. Dibrugarh’s proximity to tea estates and diminishing forest cover, as evidenced by Assam’s loss of 83.92 sq km of forest between 2021 and 2023, drives leopards into urban areas. This trend, exacerbated by deforestation and unplanned urbanization, mirrors wider regional losses, with Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, and Nagaland experiencing significant declines.
Leopards, including the Common Indian Leopard, Clouded Leopard, Black Leopard, and Snow Leopard (found exclusively in Arunachal’s higher altitudes), face increasing threats. While recent camera trap data and sightings in Pakke Tiger Reserve and Dehing Patkai National Park underscore their presence, these successes are overshadowed by rising conflicts.
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The Department of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (DoEFCC), in collaboration with WWF-India, revealed the presence of 36 Snow Leopards in Arunachal Pradesh. Minister C.M. Patowary shared sightings of clouded leopards and marbled cats, both vulnerable species, in Dehing Patkai. However, these animals are frequently involved in human-animal conflict.
Human-leopard interactions often end violently, with villagers killing the animals and removing teeth and nails for traditional medicine, fueling a thriving black market. This trafficking, driven by conflict, persists despite conservation efforts.
The Jokai Reserve Forest, adjacent to Dibrugarh, is a hotspot for these conflicts. The leopard spotted in Dibrugarh likely originated from this area, drawn to the surrounding tea plantations and expanding urban areas. This pattern is not isolated. In 2016, villagers in Chengelijan killed a stray leopard and removed its body parts. In February 2025, wildlife smugglers were arrested in Moran, Dibrugarh, carrying leopard skin and bones, revealing a gruesome killing and consumption of the animal by villagers.
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These incidents, alongside the 2017 arrest of Arunachal Pradesh government employees in Biswanath for attempting to sell leopard skin and bones, demonstrate a recurring pattern. Killings and trafficking primarily occur in forest fringes near tea plantations in Assam and along roads in Arunachal Pradesh, areas where human and leopard territories overlap.
The removal of body parts, driven by traditional beliefs and black market demand, is a consistent feature. The ease of access provided by tea plantations and expanding infrastructure facilitates these crimes. The urgency of the Dibrugarh advisory and the repeated incidents underscore the need for effective mitigation strategies to protect these endangered animals and prevent further human-wildlife conflict. This includes stricter enforcement against poaching and trafficking, community education to reduce conflict, and sustainable land management to protect vital habitats.
The escalating man-animal conflict in Assam, particularly involving leopards, has taken a disturbingly brutal turn, marked by rampant poaching, mob violence, and the macabre consumption of wildlife. A series of incidents from 2018 to 2024 reveal a pattern of violence, mutilation, and disregard for wildlife protection laws.
The grim timeline begins on March 29, 2018, in Samukia Tea Estate, Nagaon, where villagers poisoned a 12-year-old leopard, further desecrating the carcass by consuming its flesh and removing body parts. This set a chilling precedent, echoed in Ligiripukhuri, Sivasagar, on August 22, 2018, where a leopard, after reportedly injuring three, was killed and mutilated, its jaw severed. Three months later, in Tingkhong, Dibrugarh, a mob killed a leopard, again consuming its flesh and removing teeth and nails. This cannibalistic aspect of the violence highlights a disturbing level of aggression.
The pattern continued relentlessly. In December 2018, a leopard cub in Nagadhuli Tea Estate, Jorhat, was killed and mutilated. In May 2019, a leopard in Sapekhati, Sivasagar, met a similar fate, its teeth and nails removed. June 2019 saw another leopard poisoned in Gabharu Parbat Tea Estate, Jorhat, with the same gruesome aftermath. September 2019 revealed the discovery of two leopard carcasses in Borhapjan Tea Estate, Tinsukia, their body parts were missing. In January 2020, a leopard in Negheriting Tea Estate, Golaghat, was hacked to death by a mob, despite forest department efforts to capture it alive.
The COVID-19 lockdown did not deter the violence. In April 2020, a leopard was killed and buried in Ahomgaon, Golaghat, its body mutilated, leading to the detention of four individuals. September 2020 saw the arrest of three traffickers in Biswanath, possessing leopard body parts, revealing a black market trade originating from the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border. Early 2021 witnessed another leopard killing in Thurajan Tea Estate, Golaghat, its teeth and nails removed. November 2021 saw a roadkill leopard in Diriyal Tea Estate, Dibrugarh, further desecrated by a mob. A black panther was subsequently found killed in Ashwinibeel, Charaideo.
In 2022, the violence escalated. March saw a leopard killed in Balikhuti, Dibrugarh, after injuring villagers. Within days, three more leopards were killed in Sri Krishna and Nazirating Tea Estates, Digboi, their bodies mutilated, including the suspected severing of a head. December 2022 saw a female leopard killed in Teporsali, Moran, with its body parts missing.
2023 saw one of the most horrific incidents. In Borpathar-Tengani, Golaghat, a leopard was killed, and its flesh consumed by villagers, even though it had not attacked anyone. Four arrests were made. Guwahati, the state capital, witnessed the killing of two leopards in Ganeshpara in December 2023, their teeth and nails removed. In March 2024, another leopard was killed in Borhat, Charaideo, with similar mutilation.
The reach of this violence extended beyond Assam’s borders. In December 2024, a black leopard found injured on the Tezu-Sunpura road in Lohit district, Arunachal Pradesh, died from pellet wounds, suspected to be inflicted by poachers near Namdapha National Park & Tiger Reserve. This incident triggered an FIR under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
These incidents highlight a severe breakdown in wildlife protection, fueled by a combination of fear, retaliation, and a disturbing trend of consuming leopard flesh. The systematic removal of teeth, nails, and other body parts points to a well-established black market demand. The frequency and brutality of these attacks underscore the urgent need for enhanced wildlife conservation strategies, community education, and stricter enforcement of wildlife protection laws. The authorities must address the root causes of this violence, including human encroachment on wildlife habitats and the illegal trade in animal parts, to prevent further loss of these endangered animals.
It has been observed that reported cases of leopard killings in Assam share common patterns, primarily occurring in tea plantation areas bordering reserve forests. Leopards, adaptable generalist feeders, are driven into human-inhabited zones due to habitat destruction and loss, forcing them to prey on domestic animals and increasing human contact.
Deforestation, rampant extraction of natural resources like sand and pebbles, and the disturbance caused by heavy machinery and stone crushers have severely damaged leopard habitats. This encroachment, driven by development, has forced wildlife into populated areas over the last decade and a half.
Dr. Anwaruddin Choudhury, a wildlife conservation specialist, attributes the increased human-leopard conflict to the shrinking of natural habitats. Historically, villages in Assam’s southern Brahmaputra region had forest edges bordering agricultural lands, providing natural habitats for leopards and other small carnivores. However, population growth and rapid urbanization have decimated these forests, compelling leopards to seek food in human settlements. This habitat loss has escalated human-animal conflicts over the past three decades, often resulting in leopard killings.
This conflict has also fueled wildlife trafficking, with local agents exploiting the situation to procure leopard and tiger body parts. Tea plantation workers, a marginalized community, are particularly vulnerable to involvement in these activities. Their economic insecurity and social marginalization make them susceptible to recruitment by external criminal elements.
Historically, they have been involved in trafficking exotic snakes, birds, orchids, and timber. The increased human-animal conflict provides a new opportunity for them to participate in the trafficking of leopard body parts, often justified as self-defense or livestock protection.
Individuals like Rameswar, a tea estate worker, have turned to collecting leopard teeth and paws for traffickers. The lucrative nature of this trade, where a complete set of body parts fetches a substantial sum, incentivizes these activities.
Bikul Goswami, a conservationist, highlights the traditional use of big cat body parts by local tribes. Clouded leopards and marbled cats are killed for their teeth, believed to possess magical powers, and used in traditional practices. These body parts also have a high demand in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM).
The belief in the healing properties of animal body parts is prevalent among marginalized communities like tea plantation workers, due to limited access to healthcare. Traffickers, based in North Bengal near the Indo-Nepal border, smuggle these parts to the Tibetan region of China via the Nathu La pass.
Inadequate management by local forest departments exacerbates the problem. The lack of mechanisms to prevent leopards from straying and ineffective conflict management, evidenced by incidents like the use of live puppies as bait in Dibrugarh, reveal a lack of empathy and professionalism. The forest department’s failure to raise community awareness further contributes to the issue.
Official records indicate a significant number of leopard killings, with 24 documented in Dibrugarh district alone between 2014 and 2019. However, many cases go unreported, highlighting a systemic failure in law enforcement. Leopards, protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, face severe poaching threats.
Addressing this requires a multi-pronged approach. Community engagement is paramount, with incentives for wildlife conservation to reduce reliance on poaching. Increased deployment of wildlife enforcement teams, equipped with technology like camera traps, drones, and AI-powered monitoring systems, is essential for tracking illegal activities.
Strengthening wildlife crime investigation units with forensic tools and imposing stricter penalties for wildlife crimes can act as deterrents. Expanding protected areas and establishing wildlife corridors are crucial for ensuring safer habitats.
Ultimately, protecting endangered species like leopards requires a concerted effort involving enforcement, technology, and community participation. By addressing habitat loss, strengthening law enforcement, and engaging local communities, Assam can safeguard its biodiversity for future generations.