The biggest threat in terms of killing leopards are retaliatory killings, for being accused of predation on livestock (Khorozyan et. al, 2015). Leopards are blamed for livestock deaths when they are not always responsible, because there is another cause of death, the incorrect number of livestock quoted, or poaching and theft of livestock animals by other humans (Grey et. al, 2017). Because leopards are persistence and opportunistic hunters that leads to why they are the predator to blame (Grey et. al, 2017). One study in Ethiopia found that residents believed farmers should be compensated when livestock is killed by a leopard (Yirga & Bauer, 2010). That same study claims that farmers indicated that a lack of education is the most important problem found within the management of leopards (Yirga & Bauer, 2010). They found that 52.6% of respondents believed that more information needs to be given about larger carnivore conservation (Yirga & Bauer, 2010).
In southern Africa 800 leopards are killed each year just for their furs (Panthera Leopard, 2020). Leopards are poached for their skins to be used as coats and ceremonial robes (AWF Leopard, 2020). Leopard claws, whiskers and tails are also used as a popular fetish and sold within the illegal wildlife trade (AWF Leopard, 2020; WWF Amur Leopard, 2020). Like other wildlife, leopard parts are used in traditional Asian medicine (BCA Threats to Leopards, 2020). The World Wildlife Fund and TRAFFIC are working together to help governments enforce domestic and international trade on Amur leopards (WWF Amur Leopard, 2020). Leopards are also killed for trophy hunting (Panthera Leopard, 2020).
Guarding dogs are an option that farmers can use to protect their livestock, although it can get expensive. The African Wildlife Foundation works with communities to protect livestock from predators by building bomas (AWF Leopard, 2020). They also use global positioning systems (GPS) to study leopards in South Africa and learn more about their populations and the interaction they have with humans (AWF Leopard, 2020). Learning how to tolerate and coexist with leopards will help ensure their survival in the wild. Please do not wear leopard fur. Instead wear faux leopard fur and share it with your friends on social media using Panthera’s hashtag LeopardSpotted. The video below discusses how Panthera began using faux leopard fur and how they provide it for the community.
Literature Cited
African Wildlife Foundation. (2020). Leopard.
Big Cat Allies. (2020). Threats to leopards.
Grey, J. N., Bell, S., & Hill, R. A. (2017). Leopard diets and landowner perceptions of human
wildlife conflict in the Soutpansberg mountains, South Africa. Journal for Nature Conservation, 37, 56–65. doi: 10.1016/j.jnc.2017.03.002
Khorozyan, I., Ghoddousi, A., Soofi, M., & Waltert, M. (2015). Big cats kill more livestock
when wild prey reaches a minimum threshold. Elsevier: Biological Conservation, 192, 268–275. doi: 10.1016/j.biocon.2015.09.031
Panthera. (2020). Leopard. https://www.panthera.org/cat/leopard
Panthera. (2019, August 28). Saving spots [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fbq5swQEKKo
Yirga, G., Bauer, H. (2010, December). Farmers’ perception of leopard (Panthera pardus)
conservation in a human dominated landscape in northern Ethiopian highlands. International Journal of Research in Engineering IT and Social Sciences, 1 (1).
World Wildlife Fund (2020). Species: Amur leopard.