Leopard

Disappearing graceful shadows, this tree-climber is on the way to extinction


Leopard

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Disappearing graceful shadows, this tree-climber is on the way to extinction

Population 171,000 – 578,000
63 – 75% global decline in the past century

Encountering this big cat in its natural habitat is an experience filled with awe, offering a glimpse into the secretive life of one of nature’s most adaptable and skilled predators.

Adapted to a nocturnal lifestyle, leopards are masters of the night, using the cover of darkness to stalk their prey with unmatched stealth and efficiency. However, their adaptability means they can also hunt during the day, especially in areas where they are less likely to be disturbed by human activity. This flexibility in hunting behavior underscores the leopard’s opportunistic nature. Whether scavenging food from other predators or hunting a wide range of prey, leopards demonstrate remarkable dietary versatility. Their prey can range from the smallest of insects, such as termites, to large herbivores weighing up to 100 kg (220 pounds), showcasing their prowess as apex predators capable of taking down animals several times their size.

Leopards are the most geographically widespread of the old-world cats, with nine recognized subspecies that have adapted to a variety of habitats, from the dense rainforests of Africa to the snow-capped mountains of Asia. Despite this adaptability, leopards have been extirpated from much of their historic range due to human activities. Today, their populations are fragmented and isolated, facing an uncertain future in the fragmented landscapes that were once their unchallenged domain.

The threats facing leopards are manifold. Poaching for their beautiful pelts has historically decimated populations, while habitat fragmentation due to agricultural expansion, urban development, and deforestation has dramatically reduced their living spaces. Trophy hunting, often under the guise of conservation, continues to pose a threat by targeting the healthiest individuals within populations, potentially destabilizing the genetic diversity and social structure of remaining groups. Furthermore, the decline in prey populations due to overhunting and habitat loss adds to the pressure on leopard populations, challenging their survival.

Distribution

Country
Population est.
Status
Year
Comments
Afghanistan
200
Official estimate
VU
2014
Algeria
2022
Insufficient info
Angola
518
Official estimate
VU
2019
Armenia
10
VU
2006
Azerbaijan
15
VU
2019
Bangladesh
2022
No confirmed sighting
Benin
2022
Lack of info
Bhutan
2022
Lack of info
Botswana
4295
Official estimate
VU
2020
Burkina Faso
174-348
VU
2017
Burundi
2022
Lack of info
Cambodia
132
VU
2016
Cameroon
2022
Lack of info
Central Af. Rep.
2022
Reduced by 67%
Chad
2022
No studies conducted
China
110
VU
2017
Congo-Brazzaville
2022
Côte D’ivoire
2022
Lack of studies
DR Congo (Kinshasa)
2022
Lack of data
Djibouti
2022
Lack of data
Egypt
200
VU
2016
Equatorial Guinea
2022
Presence certain, No census
Eritrea
2022
Lack of data
Eswatini
2022
Lack of data
Ethiopia
23,822
Official estimate
VU
2020
Very low density
Gabon
40
Official estimate
VU
2022
Gambia
2022
Possibly Extinct
Georgia
15-50
VU
2022
Need further studies
Ghana
599
Official estimate
VU
Year uncertain
Guinea-Bissau
342
Official estimate
VU
Year uncertain
Guinea
1569
Official estimate
VU
Year uncertain
Hong Kong
Official estimate
EX
Last sighting 1983
India
12,172-13,535
VU
2018
63% increase
Indonesia
188-571
VU
2022
Iran
550-850
VU
2022
Further studies needed
Iraq
12
CR
No official census
Israel
Official estimate
EX
Last 2009
Jordan
Official estimate
EX
20th century
Kenya
10,207
Official estimate
VU
Year uncertain
Korea
Official estimate
EX
Last seen 1970
Kuwait
Official estimate
EX
Extinct locally
Laos
2022
Possibly Extinct
Lebanon
Official estimate
EX
Extinct locally
Lesotho
2022
Possibly Extinct
Liberia
503
VU
Year uncertain
Malawi
4,530
VU
Year uncertain
Malaysia
500-700
VU
2019
Mali
2022
Lack of data
Mauritania
Official estimate
EX
Extinct 1991
Morocco
Official estimate
EX
Extinct 1990s
Mozambique
37,452
Official estimate
VU
Old data
Myanmar
973-2503
VU
2017
Namibia
11,733
VU
2019
Nepal
2022
No data
Niger
454
VU
Year unknown
Nigeria
9,481
VU
North Korea
2022
Possibly Extinct
Oman
2022
No data
Pakistan
2022
No certain data
Russia
2022
No data
Rwanda
382
Official estimate
VU
Old data
Saudi Arabia
2022
Lack of data
Senegal
781
Official estimate
VU
Sierra Leone
281
Official estimate
VU
Singapore
Official estimate
EX
Last sighting 1968
Somalia
2123
VU
South Africa
23,400
VU
Sudan
22,035
VU
Sri Lanka
646
VU
2020
Syria
Official estimate
EX
Extinct locally
Tajikistan
2022
Possibly Extinct
Tanzania
5,711
VU
2022
Thailand
400-800
Official estimate
VU
2018
Togo
Official estimate
EX
Extinct locally
Tunisia
Official estimate
EX
Extinct 1990s
Turkey
2022
Turkmenistan
85-90
Official estimate
VU
2022
UAE
Official estimate
EX
Extinct 1990s
Uganda
4,292
VU
Uzbekistan
Official estimate
EX
Extinct locally
Vietnam
2022
Possibly Extinct
Yemen
2022
Lack of data
Zambia
2022
Uncertain
Zimbabwe
2022
No assessment done

Recent updates

June 2024: Russia and China have established the Land of Big Cats, a 1.75-million-hectare transboundary reserve for Amur leopards and Siberian tigers.

May 2024: An international team led by scientists from DICE, UEA, UCL, NTU, and the Diwan of Royal Court in Oman surveyed the Dhofar mountain range to count Arabia’s last big cats. Using camera traps and DNA analyses, they estimate only 51 wild leopards remain in Oman, spread across three isolated, genetically distinct subpopulations.

Feb 2024: Conservation experts from Saudi Arabia’s Royal Commission for AlUla have successfully bred seven Arabian leopard cubs in captivity this year, aiming to boost the critically endangered species’ wild population.

Feb 2023: Researchers have discovered that Nepal leopards are susceptible to the dog distemper virus, probably resulting in the animals becoming less wary of humans and entering populated areas for food.

Did you know?

  • It resembles the jaguar in looks but is smaller and lighter in build; even their rosettes are similar, the leopard’s rosettes just being smaller and missing the central spot as in the jaguars.
  • They are very splendid tree climbers and use trees as their comfort zones for resting or feasting.
  • Leopards haul and stash heavy carcasses on tree branches away from other ground predators, thanks to powerful jaws and large skulls!
  • Leopards are shy and reclusive and avoid humans but can attack humans in close encounters; after all, the only thing about leopard behavior that is completely predictable is its unpredictability!
  • Around 4,500-7,000, leopards are killed annually to meet the demand for leopard skins by Nazareth Baptist (Shembe) Church members only. In SA, the illegal trafficking of leopard skins for cultural regalia is popular.
  • Leopards are also hunted for their skins (used in traditional ceremonies) and other body parts for medicinal use in Chinese and eastern cultures, negatively impacting local Leopard populations.
  • They are the most adaptive big wild cats (pantheras), yet disappearing at an alarming rate.
  • Leopard parts are used as substitutes for tiger parts in the black market, triggering large-scale leopard hunting.

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Terrestrial / Aquatic

Altricial / Precocial

Polygamous / Monogamous

Dimorphic (size) / Monomorphic

Active: Diurnal / Nocturnal

Social behavior: Solitary / Pack / Herd

Diet: Carnivore / Herbivore / Omnivore / Piscivorous / Insectivore

Migratory: Yes / No

Domesticated: Yes / No

Dangerous: Yes / No

Leopard on banknotes

Nepal 2 rupees

Somalia 1 Somali (1950)

South Africa 200 Rand (2005)