Leopards provide public health benefits in Mumbai, India

Abstract

Populations of large carnivores are often suppressed in human-dominated landscapes because they can kill or injure people and domestic animals. However, carnivores can also provide beneficial services to human societies, even in urban environments. We examined the services provided by leopards (Panthera pardus) to the residents of Mumbai, India, one of the world's largest cities. We suggest that by preying on stray dogs, leopards reduce the number of people bitten by dogs, the risk of rabies transmission, and the costs associated with dog sterilization and management. Under one set of assumptions, the presence of leopards in this highly urbanized area could save up to 90 human lives per year. A further indirect benefit of leopard presence may be an increase in local abundance of other wildlife species that would otherwise be predated by dogs. The effective conservation of carnivores in human-dominated landscapes involves difficult trade-offs between human safety and conservation concerns. Quantitative assessments of how large carnivores negatively and positively affect urban ecosystems are critical, along with improved education of local communities about large carnivores and their impacts.

The mesoscavenger release hypothesis and implications for ecosystem and human well‐being

“…Burgeoning mesoscavenger populations may affect human well‐being (Braczkowski et al . ; O'Bryan et al . ), such as the spread of bubonic plagued rats of the 1300's (Keeling & Gilligan 2000).…”

“…The literature we review in this paper, along with our dynamic models, suggest that without apex scavengers, organic waste may be left unscavenged for longer periods and at higher biomass, and this can increase mesoscavenger abundance (biomass in our models) due to the increase in carrion biomass. Such increases in mesoscavengers and waste can change ecosystem structure (Sebasti an-Gonz alez et al 2016) and impact human well-being (Markandya et al 2008;Braczkowski et al 2018;O'Bryan et al 2018). Mesoscavengers are often pest species.…”

Governing trade‐offs in ecosystem services and disservices to achieve human–wildlife coexistence

“…For example, leopards ( Panthera pardus ) kill livestock and pose risks to human safety, yet leopards surrounding Mumbai, India, consume feral dogs, which not only reduces bite and rabies incidents, but also reduces dog‐management costs (Braczkowski et al. ). Multiple scales should also be considered.…”

Analogous losses of large animals and trees, socio‐ecological consequences, and an integrative framework for rewilding‐based megabiota restoration

“…Urban trees also contribute to various habitats for maintaining and conserving urban biodiversity including large‐sized animals (Gallo, Fidino, Lehrer, & Magle, ; Stagoll et al, ). The presence of megafauna can likewise provide beneficial services for human societies even in highly populated, urban environments, e.g., leopards ( Panthera pardus ) controlling populations of feral dogs and associated risks to people (Braczkowski et al, ).…”