India, May 5 -- The state forest department and Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) authorities have released the latest census figures of leopards, and revealed that there are a minimum of 54 leopards in the premises and surrounding landscapes. SGNP is one of the rare national parks that is surrounded by a metropolis and has survived despite high human interference.

The large-scale camera-trap survey was led by the Wildlife Conservation Society-India, and the Maharashtra forest department, aided by WeWork India Management Limited. "This reaffirms the city's extraordinary story of coexistence between humans and big cats," said a forest officer.

The survey, conducted between February and June 2024, spanned SGNP, Aarey Milk Colony, and the...