Why are leopards showing up in tea gardens more than forests? IFS officer shares a thought-provoking post

Tea gardens may be known for endless rows of green bushes, but in parts of northeastern India, they are also becoming important spaces for leopards. A post by IFS officer Parween Kaswan has drawn attention to why these elusive big cats are increasingly found in tea estates. A study on leopard habitat use and human-leopard interactions offers some answers: dense vegetation, connected plantation landscapes and nearby prey can make tea gardens surprisingly suitable habitats for leopards living close to people.

Why are leopards using tea gardens?

Parween Kaswan, IFS, took to X and shared a post highlighting the unusual presence of leopards in tea gardens. She wrote, “Leopard in a tea cup. You know there are more leopards in tea gardens these days than the forest. Do you know why !!”

The question points to a larger ecological shift involving fragmented forests and human-dominated landscapes. According to the study titled “Leopard in a tea-cup: A study of leopard habitat-use and human-leopard interactions in north-eastern India”, submitted to the National Library of Medicine, habitat use by leopards was strongly associated with ground vegetation cover. The analysis found that the probability of leopards using areas with more ground vegetation was higher, while their use of areas with a high density of buildings was lower.

Tea bushes offer leopards natural cover

One major reason tea estates can attract leopards is the vegetation itself. Dense tea bushes provide concealment and shelter, giving the animals cover while they move through the landscape. The study found a strong relationship between leopard habitat use and areas with greater ground vegetation cover. For a naturally elusive animal, such vegetation can provide an environment where it can remain hidden while navigating areas surrounding human settlements.

Tea plantations can connect fragmented forests

Tea estates can also play an unexpected role in connecting wildlife habitats. According to the study, natural forest patches in the landscape are small and fragmented, making it difficult for leopards to move freely between them. Forests accounted for around 25% of the study area, while contiguous tea plantations covered about 35%.

These plantations can therefore function as movement corridors, connecting isolated forest patches and allowing leopards to travel through human-dominated landscapes. They may also provide enough connected habitat for the animals to establish territories.

Nearby livestock can mean easy prey

Another factor is the availability of food around tea estates. The rural landscape surrounding these plantations can have high densities of livestock, including cattle, goats, pigs and poultry. This puts potential domestic prey close to areas where leopards already have vegetation cover. The combination of shelter and accessible prey can make tea estates attractive to leopards, even when natural forest habitat is fragmented.

Leopards avoid areas with dense buildings

The study also highlights an important distinction. While leopards can use tea estates, they are less likely to use areas with a high density of buildings and urban structures. This suggests that the animals may tolerate certain human-dominated landscapes when those areas retain vegetation and connectivity, but dense built-up environments are less suitable.

Netizens recall leopard encounters

Kaswan’s post also prompted several reactions from social media users, with some sharing their own observations and experiences. One user recalled shoots in Jalpaiguri and Cooch Behar in West Bengal, saying tea plantation workers had recounted harrowing experiences involving leopard attacks and snakebites.

Another user suggested that dogs brought into tea gardens by visitors could sometimes become prey for leopards. A third commenter pointed to the tea gardens as a very good hiding spot for leopards and mentioned recent reports of leopard attacks in tea estates. One user took a humorous approach, writing, “Leopards want their tea served fresh and without adulteration,” while suggesting that hiding opportunities and easy prey such as dogs and cattle near human settlements could explain their presence. Another joked, “What will you like to have? A leopard-tea.” One more commenter wrote, “Seems the leopards wants to increase their surveillance in tea gardens,” adding a playful spin to the discussion.

The study, however, points to a more ecological explanation: where forests become fragmented, tea plantations can provide vegetation cover and connectivity while keeping leopards close to potential prey.