IUCN / SSC Cat Specialist Group - Digital Cat Library |
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| The Leopard Project | |
| Full Book | |
With the ability to thrive not just in forests like the tiger or open savanna like the lion, the leopard or panther is the most successful big cat in terms of colonizing new and varied terrain. That these felids can subsist on a host of small prey species as well as their traditional medium-size ungulate prey increases their impressive ability to live in all manner of habitat. This is perhaps why these adaptable carnivores have spread virtually throughout Asia and roam over all of Africa except for the Sahara. Despite this renowned adaptability the leopard is fast disappearing, relegated to smaller and smaller pockets across its range. A thriving world market for its skins during the late 1960s combined with steady and continuing habitat loss caused the United States to list the leopard as an endangered species throughout its range in March 1972. Three years later the leopard was added to Appendix I of CITES, which completely restricted any trade in leopard products. While the southern African species' have since been down-listed to threatened the Asian species' remain on the endangered list. Devising a balanced conservation strategy for the Sri Lankan leopard is becoming more and more important and it is hoped that by gaining insight into the demography, range use and behaviour patterns of the leopards this study can provide an initial, solid groundwork from which informed and progressive decisions can be made. For the habitat of the leopard of the leopard is fast disappearing and if this remarkable species is to be preserved in the remaining habitable pockets an incereased understanding of them is essential. In Sri Lanka it is the elephant that has been used as the flagship species for conservation. The leopard, other than for a few indirect studies, has largely been ignored and its conservation not adequately addressed. The importance of a full-scale leopard research project is therefore critical for the preservation of this vital predator species. |
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