IUCN / SSC Cat Specialist Group - Digital Cat Library |
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| Hunter, L.; Balme, G. | |
| Trash or in trouble? - The leopard's predicament | |
| 2005 Africa Geographic (February 2004): 60-67 | |
At first glance, his stance is tough to refute. The leopard is the most widely distributed big cat in the world. It is found from the southern tip of Africa to the Russian Far East. It occurs in the tropical forests of C“te d'Ivoire and Indonesia, in the deserts of Namibia and Niger, and above the snowline in the Himalayas. Leopards inhabit coffee plantations in Thailand, cattle farms in Kenya and, occasionally, even the suburbs of major cities. In 1990, a female leopard and her two large cubs were removed from a derelict steam train in Uganda's Kampala Station. They had been surviving on stray cats and dogs. Compared to other large cats, there is little doubt that the leopard is faring well. If faced with an all-or-nothing choice between channelling conservation resources towards protecting either the last 5 000 to 7 500 wild tigers or the leopard, few conservation biologists would argue for the leopard. As a species, the leopard is certainly not confronting the imminent threat of extinction that imperils the tiger's very existence. But the leopard is also the most heavily persecuted large felid in the world. The question is, even allowing for its great resilience and adaptability, is it valid to simply assume that the leopard is safe? |
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