Abstract
The common leopard is a highly adaptable habitat generalist with one of the largest species distributions in the world. With their varied diet and ability to thrive even in urban environments, this species is often involved in human-wildlife conflicts throughout its distribution. This study examined what factors influence the distribution and activity patterns of leopards in Parsa National Park (PNP) in Nepal as well as estimated their density. We used a capture recapture model with camera traps that were initially deployed for the National Tiger Survey conducted by Nepal using bycatch data. We estimated their density and analyzed their diel activity patterns. We modeled various anthropogenic and environmental factors to assess what influence there may be on leopard activity and distribution in the park using generalized linear mixed models (GLMMs) and generalized linear models (GLMs). 35 individual leopards were identified. Their density was estimated to be 1.97 ± SE 0.16/100 km2 females and 3.72 ± SE 0.16/100 km2 males within the park. These leopards were found to be diurnal, with peaks of activity during late morning and mid-afternoon. There was a positive correlation between distance from roads and leopard nocturnality, though it was not statistically significant. Distance from water resources and distance from park border were the most statistically correlated with leopard distribution. The leopards’ diel activity may be due to lack of anthropogenic disturbance or to a recent increase in the local tiger population. However, more research needs to be conducted.