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Norton, P.
How many leopards? A criticism of Martin and de Meulenaer's population estimates for Africa
1990 South African Journal of Science (86): 218-220
In a recent survey of the status of the leopard in sub-Saharan Africa, carried out for the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), Martin and de Meulenaer used a computer model to "estimate" that there are no fewer than 700 000 leopards in sub-Saharan Africa, with confidence limits of between 600 000 and 900 000. Results of ecological studies on leopards in the Cape Province, South Africa, carried out by the Chief Directorate: Nature and Environmental Conservation, suggest that some of the assumptions on which the population estimates are based are highly suspect, and that the population figures may be unrealistically high. The recommendations for leopard conservation and management should therefore be viewed with caution, especially hunting quotas based on a proportional offtake from the "estimated total" population.
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