Lakhimpur Kheri, July 6 -- Leopard population in the Dudhwa Tiger Reserve (DTR) has grown by 198.91% since 2022, a fresh report stated. In the Dudhwa buffer zone, which also houses several human habitats, the wild cat population grew by 142.86%. While their growing numbers showed that the conservation efforts of the forest authorities and the rich biodiversity of Dudhwa were bearing fruit, it has compelled forest authorities in the buffer to swing into action and find ways to reduce the human-wildlife conflict. The recently disclosed triennial survey report of 2025 about the estimated numbers of wild animals in the DTR, which includes Dudhwa National Park (DNP), Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary (KWS) and the buffer zone, states that all wildlife species of carnivores, herbivores, aquatic animals, ungulates etc registered a healthy growth in their population in comparison to the triennial survey of 2022. The number of swamp deer or barasingha, for which the national park was brought into existence in 1977, rose to 6,137 from 3,691 in 2022, registering a growth of 66.27%. Similarly, the number of spotted deer or chital rose to 22,408 from 36,636 (63.5%), kankar (barking deer) from 1,284 to 2,560 (99.38%) and padha from 3,169 to 5,351 (68.85%) in the DTR. However, the most remarkable growth rate was seen among leopards, whose number in Dudhwa National Park (DNP) grew to 93 in 2025 from 34 of 2022 (173.53%), in the Katarniaghat sanctuary to 131 from 37 of 2022 (254.05%) and in the buffer zone to 51 from 21 of 2022 (142.86%). Altogether, the leopard population stood at 276 from 92 in 2022 in the DTR. As the buffer zone area is interspersed with agricultural fields and human habitations, the growing leopard population in the area becomes a sensitive matter, triggering fears of human-wild animal conflict. Saureesh Sahai, the deputy field director of the Dudhwa buffer zone, lauded the conservation efforts but also acknowledged the risks involved with more leopards in the area. Sahai said right from infrastructure improvement to public awareness campaigns, all efforts were being made to keep the human-animal conflicts to a minimum. Sahai stated that the chain-link fencing in a length of 5.44 km in Jungle Matera area, which is close to Katarniaghat, had already been sanctioned....