The Plight Of The Leopard
Leopard
Who can fail to be impressed by the muscular power, agility and beauty of the leopard? Many of us have heard about the plight of the Amur Leopard, but did you know that other species of leopard exist that are also critically endangered and there is one that is on the brink of extinction?
Javan Leopard
The Javan Leopard, Indonesia, was last assessed in 2008 as critically endangered - there are estimated to be less than 250 mature breeding adults, but possibly as low as 100. The main threats are habitat loss and prey depletion, resulting in human conflict when they prey on livestock or pets - it is estimated that only 5% of the island of Java now contains suitable habitat for the Javan Leopard. Illegal hunting and snaring for the wildlife trafficking trade is also an issue, as hunting motives have evolved from one of subsistence to being commercially driven due to high commodity value. Indonesia has a notorious reputation for illegal and/or unsustainable trade in wild and exotic animals as pets.
Arabian Leopard
The Arabian Leopard is native to the Arabian Peninsular. Their population is shrinking fast, with maybe less than 200 remaining in the wild in 2016, to possibly less than 50 mature individuals. Habitat loss and prey depletion are thought to be at the forefront - human conflict with frankincense harvesters has added to their decline.
The Oman Leopard Project has gone some way to address public education and a ‘no hunting law’ is tackling the decline in prey species. Rangers have been employed in the Dhofar region and Oman's Office for Conservation of the Environment has been compensating herders in Oman for losses to leopards since 2014 in an attempt to prevent retaliation killings, but killing in other areas continues. In 2019 wild cat conservation group Panthera signed an agreement with HH Prince Badr bin Abdullah Al-Saud, Minister of Culture and Governor of the Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) under the Arabian Leopard Initiative (ALI) to help protect, not just the Arabian Leopard, but leopards globally, pledging $20 million towards these efforts over the next decade.
Sunda Clouded Leopard
The Sunda Clouded Leopard is found only on the islands of Borneo and Sumatra, Indonesia. There are two distinct sub-species of Sunda Clouded Leopard, the Bornean Clouded Leopard and the Sumatran Clouded Leopard. Both are endangered and declining, predominantly due to forest loss and degradation, and poaching.
Despite strict national and international protection, illegal poaching for both the local and international market and live poaching for the pet trade, is fuelling their decline.
Indochinese Leopard
The Indochinese Leopard, SE Asia, is now critically endangered, mainly due to illegal snaring. Once ranging widely across SE Asia and China, it now inhabits approximately only 2 - 6% of it’s historical range, with an estimated 400-900 breeding adults remaining. According to Dr. K. Yoganand, Regional Lead for Wildlife and Wildlife Crime for WWF Greater Mekong, “Snaring is emptying the forests of Southeast Asia, with many wildlife populations already locally extinct or on the verge of going extinct.”
The Amur Leopord or Far Eastern Leopard
The Amur Leopard, native to SE Russia and NE China, is critically endangered. One of the most threatened species of wildlife, only around 100 individuals are thought to remain in the wild. Their decline in numbers has been led by habitat loss for development, logging and forest fires (at times, deliberately started to clear land), and poaching of both the Amur Leopard and it’s prey.
Much is being done to safeguard the future of the Amur Leopard, with planned re-introduction of captive-bred cats, fire-fighting teams and anti-poaching teams in their habitat. Also education and outreach programmes, and compensation schemes for farmers. However, due to the low numbers, their future remains uncertain.
Persian Leopard or Caucasian Leopard
The Persian Leopard, native to the Caucasas region, is endangered. Their numbers are thought to be less than 1300 and their decline has been attributed to hunting and poisoning. A re-introduction of captive bred cats has begun in the North of Caucasus.
The North Chinese Leopard
The North Chinese Leopard is classified as endangered. Although approximately 2500 remain in the wild, their habitat is extensively fragmented. Their numbers have been declining due to habitat loss and lack of prey. However, hope is on the horizon for this elusive cat. In the Loess Plateu's forest, numbers are on the rise following an initiative to restore biodiversity to the area after the habitat was mostly transformed into agricultural land 20 years ago.
Snow Leopard
The Snow Leopard lives in the mountains of Central Asia. Numbers are estimated to range between 3920 - 6390. Snow Leopards are declining due to poaching for the illegal wildlife trade and also, poaching of their prey. Mining and other large-scale developments are threatening their habitat. The Tibetan Plateau is home to more than a half of all remaining Snow Leopards - with temperatures on the rise across Central Asia, climate change threatens to make up to a third of their habitat un-useable.
Panthera’s Snow Leopard Program currently leads or supports conservation activities in five of the 12 snow leopard range countries, including China, India, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, and Tajikistan.
Due to the territorial nature and the vast ranges required to sustain the iconic leopard, it faces an uphill struggle unless biodiversity is restored to habitats, fragmentation decreased and humans learn to co-exist with this majestic wild cat. Currently, fines and imprisonment are insufficient to deter poachers and traffickers. More resources need to be put into protecting forest habitats, removing snares and bringing poachers and traffickers to justice.
Under Project Pardus, scientists from Panthera, In partnership with local and national governments, corporations, NGOs and local communities, are focusing on monitoring leopard population trends, stopping the illicit fur trade, reducing human-leopard conflict, stabilizing and increasing prey populations, and reducing unsustainable legal trophy hunting - the recent Saudi-Panthera partnership, the Arabian Leopard Initiative (ALI), is a welcome addition towards this goal. Finally, the positive signs shown in the Loess Plateau, show that it is possible to begin to reverse decline by restoring habitat and biodiversity.
You can help the leopard by ‘showing your spots’ and joining the #leopardspotted movement.
