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Ario, A.; Hidayat, E.; Supian,
Protection and monitoring of the endangered species of Javan Leopard (_Panthera pardus melas_) in Gunung Gede Pangrango National Park, West Java, Indonesia
2009  Full Book

For many years the Javan leopard (_Panthera pardus melas_) was believed to have been extinct throughout much of its historical range. Yet in 2002, we were able to photograph this elusive creature by using a camera trap in Gunung Gede-Pangrango National-Park (GGPNP). Our goal was to assess the Javan leopard's status in GGPNP by deploying camera traps across the park and by distributing questionnaires to local people. We hoped to gain insight on the people's knowledge, attitudes, and behavior regarding the conservation of the Javan leopard. The objectives of this research project was to first determine the Javan leopard population and map its geographic distribution in Gunung Gede Pangrango National Park through a comprehensive survey using standardized techniques. Second, we hoped to gain insight on the communities' knowledge, attitudes and behavior toward the Javan leopard in Gunung Gede Pangrango National Park. Lastly, we hoped to assess the potential for conflict between communities and the Javan leopard in Gunung Gede Pangrango National Park. This research will serve as a foundation for larger initiatives that are planned to assess the current status of the leopard in Java, and develop conservation strategies that will include policy interventions. Data was collected from August 2008 to August 2009 at three areas in Gunung Gede Pangrango National Park (Bogor, Sukabumi, and Cianjur). The park is located in the coordinate 06§ 46' 25. 29" South Latitude, 106§ 56' 08. 10" East Longitude with an altitude range from 500 up to 3,019 meters above sea level. There were 12 cameras used in this survey. Capture and recapture analysis was used to estimate the population of the Javan leopard. Combining the estimated Javan leopard population size in the sampled area with the effective sampling coverage of suitable habitat, we estimate the density of Javan leopard to be 0.05 - 0.13 individual/km2, or 5.9-13.6 km2/individual. If we apply the estimated mean density to the entire forested areas in and adjacent to the park, we estimate a mean of 22.5 Javan leopards living in the areas. The area of suitable habitat sampled was 168 km2. Assuming the given density actually represented the mean Javan leopard's density (in the suitable habitat) inside the park boundary, we can estimate a mean of 20.3 Javan leopards living in the park. Based on the results from the community survey, we found that 80 % of the local people know about the Javan leopard, 91% said they do not hunt the Javan leopard, 1% reported they had livestock killed by Javan leopard, 33% local people have seen the Javan leopard, 71% know the Javan leopard is an endangered species, and 38% of the local people received information regarding Javan leopard conservation from television. There has never been a reported case of a person being attacked by a Javan leopard, however, there still remains the possibility of conflict between the two species. Poaching is still the main issue in the park and has led to a rapid reduction in the number of prey. As a result, the Javan leopard must find alternative prey animals and could possibly attack a human.

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