Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday expressed happiness over the increasing population of leopards in India which has registered more than 60 per cent rise in the latest report. 

"Great news! After lions and tigers, the leopard population increases," the Prime Minister tweeted.

Extending congratulations to all those who are working towards animal conservation, the Prime Minister appealed to such institutions and people to keep up these efforts and ensure "our animals live in safe habitats".

Prime Minister's message came after Union Minister Prakash Javadekar released the "Status of Leopard in India 2018" report.

Javadekar informed in a tweet that "India now has 12,852 leopards", saying it is "more than 60 per cent increase in the population compared to the previous estimate which was conducted in 2014".

(IANS)