The agency of urban carnivores in human politics: leopards in Mumbai, India

Abstract

Across the world, increasing urbanization is leading to more frequent encounters between humans and wildlife. The resulting cohabitation promotes new human–wildlife dynamics in cities and requires innovative approaches for coping with wildlife in habitats that are not conventionally considered as suitable. Here we examined how leopards (Panthera pardus) acclimate to the urban environment in Mumbai, India, and influence human politics through their presence, adaptability, and diverse relationships with humans and nonhumans. Building on perspectives from political ecology and more-than-human geography, we show how leopards may thwart the outcomes of wildlife conservation and management and also catalyze transitions toward approaches that foster coexistence. We reveal the political role that leopards play in Mumbai by examining the many ways in which they influence power dynamics among humans. Our analysis illustrates how including considerations about the political agency of wildlife in urban planning can improve nature conservation and social policies.