UNDP steps in to protect Sri Lankan leopards

By Huzefa Aliasger   

In a bid to save leopards from being killed by farmers due to attacks on their livestock , the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Sri Lanka, together with the Wildlife and Nature Protection Society (WNPS) launched a Livestock Insurance Scheme .   

The livestock insurance scheme is mainly to protect the endangered Sri Lankan Leopard, “Panthera pardus kotiya”, The UNDP said in a media release.   

The UNDP said that the first-of-its-kind initiative provides rapid monetary compensation to farmers who lose livestock to leopard predation, thereby protecting rural livelihoods while reducing retaliatory killings of this keystone species.   

“The Sri Lankan Leopard is the apex predator of the island’s terrestrial ecosystems, regulating herbivore populations and maintaining ecological balance. As a keystone species, its survival is critical for healthy habitats, while its presence draws thousands of tourists annually to national parks such as Wilpattu,  Yala, Kumana and Horton Plains. However, shrinking habitats, forest fragmentation, and poaching have depleted natural prey, forcing some leopards to move into human-dominated areas, where they occasionally prey on livestock. This leads to significant economic losses for rural farmers and has, in many cases, triggered retaliatory killings, further endangering the species.” UNDP stated.   

In 2022, WNPS initiated the Multi-Regional Leopard Research and Conservation Project in partnership with LOLC Holdings, establishing six research centres across Panama, Sigiriya, Kilinochchi, Belihuloya, Kalawana and Kotagala. Baseline surveys in the Sigiriya research area revealed frequent livestock predation in villages bordering protected areas and buffer zones. Many of these incidents resulted in unreported retaliatory killings, including poisoning, snaring and shooting.   

The Livestock Compensation Programme mentioned by the UNDP was developed in direct response to these findings. It aims to provide timely and fair financial support to affected farmers, reducing the economic impact of livestock loss while promoting goodwill towards leopard conservation. It also seeks to strengthen trust between conservation authorities and communities, improve data collection on predation incidents, and inform proactive conflict prevention measures.