General Studies · Critical Reasoning

Read the passage carefully and evaluate the statement below: According to the Wildlife Protection Society of India (WPSI), the highest leopard mortality rates in India over a four-year period were recorded in 2018 with 460 deaths. Among them, 155 leopards were poached, while 74 died in rail or road accidents. At least 431 leopards died in 2017, 440 in 2016, and 399 in 2015. Poaching, road accidents, and human-animal conflict are primary drivers destroying natural habitats due to expanding urbanization near protected forests. The prevailing belief that 'leopards can adapt easily in human-dominated areas and pose no threat to humans because they are weaker than other large cats' is proven false by increasing conflicts that place their lives in jeopardy. Statement: The prevailing assumption is that the destruction of these cats is due to growing urbanization in place of the forest.