Rosettes of Fear: A look into public perception and its effects on human-leopard conflict in Bengaluru

Sammanfattning

The Indian leopard is a species that frequently comes into conflict with humans due to their adaptability and wide habitat range, allowing them to persist around urban landscapes like Bengaluru. While the surrounding landscape naturally supports leopards, human factors have driven them to frequent urban areas. Increased leopard sightings have led to more translocations, but relocating animals based on sightings alone causes more harm than good. Public perception is vital in human wildlife management and thus, interviews with residents from 5 leopard-sighting locations were held. This revealed that despite empathy for leopards, most remained fearful and opposed coexistence due to the risk posed. The Social Amplification of Risk framework was used to map risk communication and implications. The preservation of surrounding wilderness is a necessary step but proactive government and NGO led education and management initiatives could improve public perception which could ensure support for future conservation efforts for this species.