Good Amur leopard news

This video is about Amur leopards.

From Wildlife Extra:

World’s rarest big cat turns the corner as Amur leopard population grows sharply

Amur leopard steps back from the brink – Courtesy of WWF Russia

April 2013. Specialists of Far Eastern Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, “Land of the Leopard” National Park, WWF and Wildlife Management Department of Primorsky Province have finalized the results of snow track leopard census

Best hopes exceeded

The census produced four happy results, and one alarming development. In general the results exceeded all expectations – 48-50 individual leopards were detected, or 1.5 times more than 5 years ago.

The first bit of good news was that, according to census results, minimum leopard numbers were determined as 43-45 adult individuals and 4-5 cubs. In 2007, 27-34 leopards were recorded. Thus, if the slogan “Only 30 left in the wild!” was recently true, today we can say with confidence that not less than 50 Far Eastern leopards now live in the Russian Far East. Although good news, 50 is still a critically small number for the long term survival of the population.

The second piece of good news, the leopard has moved northwards. For many years the Krounovka River was the northern border of the leopard’s range. Three years ago a lonely male left his tracks on the territory of Poltavsky Provincial Wildlife Refuge to the north of that river. This winter a female with a cub was found there. The appearance of the new northernmost cat family is the leopards’ response to the successful organization of proper control over the Poltavsky Refuge by local authorities. Under the new management the reserve became part of the network of protected areas known as “Land of the Leopard”.

The third piece of good news, the leopard has also moved towards the coast. One of the litters was found during the survey was in an area where leopards were previously unrecorded: in the reeds and shrubs of a river delta. This winter there was a high concentration of hare [in] this habitat, and due to the unusually deep snow roe deer moved there as well. Poachers did not realize that wild animals were moving into the area, and so a mother and a cub spent a safe winter by the sea side with plenty of food.

The fourth piece of good news, the leopard has moved to the south as well. One of the leopards was found on the border with North Korea. No leopards have been observed in this area for a century. It is quite possible that the animal crossed the border and has found some suitable habitat in the forests of China and North Korea. This fact highlights the importance of leopard habitat conservation in North Korea.

Amur tigers

The alarming news – the winter census revealed 23 Amur tigers living in the territory, double the number compared to 5 years ago! These tigers are not considered as part of the main Changbaishan population, which itself is distinct from the main Russian Sikhote-Alin population and plays a key role in Amur tiger restoration in China. It is believed that differing habitat preferences allow these two competing predators competitors – tiger and leopard – to coexist. However, due to replacement of red deer by sika deer and low wild boar populations, the prey base of tigers and leopards in southwest Primorye has begun to more and more overlap.

Big cat competition

In such conditions, competition between the two rare cats may become an issue – over the past years at least three leopards were killed by tigers. Unfortunately, the results of the winter census added to these statistics. Tracking in 2013 revealed two cases when a tiger chased a leopard. Only the advanced tree-climbing skill of the leopard saved them from their larger cousins. The researchers should pay some serious attention to the problem of competition between Amur tigers and leopards.

The Far Eastern leopard 2013 census was conducted following a traditional methodology based on measuring print size. By recording the location of all tracks GPS-navigators and taking photos of the prints it was possible to minimize the human factor. Climatic conditions were not easy. On the one hand, deep snow and snow drifts obstructed the work – it was extremely difficult to move along the transects. On the other hand, deep snow and frozen snow crust forced animals to concentrate on local habitats, thus decreasing probability of counting the same animal on different routes. Having fresh snow on the crust allowed for quite precise measurement of all encountered prints.

Litters

Locating litters is a not easy task, particularly under severe winter conditions. Nevertheless, field workers registered 4 females with one kitten each, and one litter that has already broken away from its mother. This figure is considered normal for the given number of leopards, though in 2011 no less than 6 litters were counted. The information collected before the census in the fall and winter allows for the assumption that the real number of litters in 2013 is higher than that observed on the routes.

Chinese border leopards

A relatively large quantity of leopard prints were found along the border with China, but unfortunately it was not possible to conduct a simultaneous census in China. Last year, a minimum of 5 different leopards were photographed by camera traps there; Chinese specialists suggest that 8-11 cats inhabit the Hunchun, Wangqing, and Suiyang Nature Reserves, mostly in the vicinity of registered leopards in Russian border zone.

World’s rarest cat

“The Far Eastern leopard, the rarest cat on the Earth, is stepping back from the brink” – comments Dr. Yury Darman, Director of Amur branch WWF Russia. “We started the recovery program in 2001 and now can be proud of having almost 50 leopards in the wild. The most crucial role is played by the establishment of large unified protected area with huge state support, which covers 360,000 hectares of leopard habitat in Russia. It is now necessary to accelerate the creation of a Sino-Russian trans-boundary reserve that would unify six adjacent protected areas encompassing 6,000 square kilometres and make the goal of a sustainable population of 70-100 Far Eastern leopards and 25-30 Amur tigers a realistic one”.

Census organizers express their gratitude to Russian border guards for taking active part in the census on the territory they patrol. They provided transportation, shared their excellent knowledge of the surveyed area and provided security along the routes.

April 2013. The forests of the Russian Far East are being pushed to the brink of destruction by pervasive, large-scale illegal logging, mostly to supply Chinese furniture and flooring manufacturers, according to a new report by WWF-Russia: here.

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• Kansas City Zoo welcomes new Amur Leopard (fox4kc.com)
• Amur leopard numbers up in Russia: WWF (thehimalayantimes.com)
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• The world’s rarest cat: The Amur leopard (theendangeredspace.wordpress.com)
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Trophy hunting banned in Botswana and Zambia

This video is called Botswana wildlife expedition 2012.

From Wildlife Extra:

Seeing the light – Benefits to banning hunting in Botswana and Zambia

The recent decision by the governments of Botswana and Zambia to halt trophy hunting has been praised in some conservation circles in southern Africa. Ian Michler explains why.

Towards the end of last year the Botswana Government announced that trophy hunting will no longer be allowed on any state or community land from the end of 2013. The ban extends to what is known as ‘citizen hunting’ for the pot and covers all species, including elephants. And then in early January this year the government of Zambia annulled the tender process for hunting concessions in 19 Game Management Areas (GMAs) and cancelled all hunting licences and quotas for at least one year. It also introduced an immediate and indefinite ban on the hunting of lions and leopards and committed to a thorough review of the hunting industry.

These are extremely sensible stands and both governments should be congratulated for their vision. Although taken independently, the decisions are based on similar factors that clearly indicate a further loss of support for trophy hunting as an effective wildlife management option.

Little benefit to communities

On the economic front, the contribution of hunting has always been overplayed. In most countries the industry has only a six-month season and the benefits delivered to local economies by the small camps, with their limited complements of staff and clients, are insubstantial. The real money goes into the pockets of the operators and is often collected outside the home states.

Photo safaris replacing hunting

In the case of Botswana, the photographic sector has steadily replaced hunting over the past two decades. In the process, the ecotourism industry as a whole has grown significantly and its comparative advantages have become increasingly evident. The government now has records relating to concession fees, employment numbers and opportunities, wages and taxes paid, contributions to conservation and a host of other criteria that enable them to make direct comparisons between the two industries.

Hunting contributes just US$3 million to Zambia

In Zambia, where approximately US$3- million is earned annually from trophy hunting, Tourism and Arts Minister Sylvia Masebo said it loud and clear: ‘Why should we lose our animals for US$3-million a year? The benefits we get from [photographic] tourist visits are much higher.’ And as reported in a number of stakeholder meetings held after the bans were announced, remuneration to local people from hunting is simply not materialising; communities located within or on the borders of GMAs are as impoverished as ever.

Hunting bad for the ecology

The ban on hunting makes just as much sense when it comes to ecological considerations. The primary claim in this regard is the industry’s much-touted anti-poaching role, but this is totally misrepresented. Poaching occurs in all protected areas and the intensity of it is driven by factors such as the prevailing socioeconomic conditions and levels of policing.

Protection from poachers

It is certainly true that the presence of tour operators and their clients acts as a deterrent to poaching, and while hunting concessions claim the same advantage, the protection they offer to wildlife is no better. If anything, it could be argued that whereas the hunting season lasts only six months, most photographic operators are in business year round, which translates into a far more significant presence on the ground. In both Botswana and Zambia, the hunters have occupied concessions around the perimeters of national parks and reserves, and this is where the poaching starts.

Selous suffers terribly from poaching

Further afield, Tanzania’s Selous Game Reserve serves as a more obvious example of the connection between hunting and poaching. Almost 95 per cent of its land is parcelled out among more than 40 hunting concessions yet, as reported by conservation agencies and the Tanzanian government, thousands of elephants are being lost to ivory poachers each year. Another spurious claim put forward by advocates of hunting pertains to the gene pool. Rather than targeting the old and infirm, as they assert, trophy hunting is actually all about pursuing the prime animals within the gene pool of individual species. That is why record books are kept and why every operator aims to get as many entries in them as possible and thus obtain a marketing edge. The loss of established animals year after year hammers the breeding stock and is extremely disruptive to the social systems and behavioural patterns of the different species.

Given the existing pressures on wildlife in most protected areas, this is why trophy hunting is at odds with conservation. How can any activity that seeks to kill what everyone else is so diligently trying to protect be making a contribution? When viewed comparatively, there is no contest as to which land-use option for nationally protected areas is superior. The money involved and a powerful lobby will no doubt keep hunting grounds open in some countries for years to come, but Botswana and Zambia, by breaking ranks, at the very least have laid down a marker to the conservation world – the role of trophy hunting as a conservation tool needs to be thoroughly reviewed.

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• Trophy Hunting (christopherclarkeblog.wordpress.com)
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Leopard spotted in Azerbaijan

From Wildlife Extra:

Young female leopard spotted in Azerbaijan

Leopard photographed in Azerbaijan just weeks after being confirmed in Armenia

March 2013. Leopards are one of the rarest species in the Caucasus; one has been recently spotted by WWF‘s camera traps in the Zangezur National Park in Azerbaijan. This sighting comes just a few weeks after leopards were confirmed in Armenia for the first time in a decade.

Leopards have not been seen in the area for many years, making this recent sighting a local sensation. The young female that was photographed seems to be resident in this region, leaving strong hopes that, with a bit of luck, the population of the Leopard will gradually re-populate Caucasus and once again become the apex predator, as it was many years ago.

Over the past 10 years WWF, in partnership with IUCN/SSC Cat Specialist Group, together with National Governments, NGOs and experts from the region, has undertaken considerable efforts to assess the status of the Caucasian (Persian) Leopard and develop approaches for its conservation.

During initial phase of the project implementation important positive results on the ground were achieved. Recently, National Action Plans for Leopard conservation were adopted by local governments of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia based on Regional Strategy developed earlier, elevating leopard protection to the national priority level.

Leopard is the flagship species of the Caucasus Ecoregion and at the same time globally priority species for WWF

Monitoring of this species is part of the National Action Plan for Leopard Conservation, implemented by WWF in cooperation with the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of Azerbaijan. WWF monitoring process (especially camera-trapping of the leopard and hundreds of its prey and competitive species) was made possible through the support and active involvement of scientists from the Institute of Bioresources of Nakhchyvan Branch of National Academy of Sciences of Azerbaijan under the supervision of Professor Tariel Talibov.

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Armenian leopards update

This video from Armenia is called Bezoar Goats, Caucasus Wildlife Refuge.

From Wildlife Extra:

Endangered Caucasian leopard confirmed in Armenia

Leopards clinging on in the Caucasus

February 2013. … Conservation workers’ efforts to preserve habitat for the endangered Caucasian Leopard in Armenia have been boosted by confirmation of the leopard’s presence in a protected area.

Staff of the Tisch Family Zoological Gardens in Jerusalem have run a series of genetic tests on samples of fur and faeces found in an area managed for conservation by Armenian NGO, the Foundation for the Preservation of Wildlife and Cultural Assets (FPWC). In the past few days, the zoo has confirmed that the samples are indeed from a rare Caucasian Leopard.

The news from Jerusalem Zoo confirms what FPWC field experts have believed but so far have been unable to prove. Ruben Khachatryan, Director of Yerevan Zoo, and founder of FPWC describes the scientific proof as highly important: “It demonstrates beyond any doubt that this majestic but unfortunately highly endangered predator still dwells in Armenia and that our efforts to protect its habitat are not in vain.”

Mary Tibbett, Conservation Programmes Officer at World Land Trust (WLT), which is supporting FPWC’s work, adds: “This finding is a great boost to conservation efforts in Armenia. Although possibly reduced to as few as 15 animals in Armenia, the Caucasian Leopard subspecies is resilient and we believe it can be saved. But if it is to prosper in the wild, we need to see better research and monitoring, improved protection for habitat, and tougher action against hunters and poachers. If we do not take steps now, it may be too late.

“FPWC are doing a tremendous job in this challenging environment and I urge anyone who cares about conservation to help secure the future of this magnificent creature by donating to WLT’s Caucasian Leopard Special Appeal, which is running until the end of April.”

FPWC’s rangers have increased the number of Bezoar Ibex in the area by reducing hunting, this increase in prey is critical to the survival of Caucasian Leopard.

“The confirmed presence of the leopard shows that the Caucasus Wildlife Refuge is increasingly becoming a safe haven for flora and fauna,” adds Marc Hoogeslag, IUCN Netherland’s Small Grants Coordinator for the Purchase of Nature Programme. “For top predators such as the Caucasian Leopard, the reserve is an attractive habitat because it shelters populations of prey species such as the Bezoar Goat.”

Largest leopard

The Caucasian Leopard is the largest sub species of leopard. It ranges across several different countries including Iran, Armenia, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan and Georgia. In recent years, their population has been devastated by uncontrolled hunting and habitat destruction.

Iran & Azerbaijan

“Leopards don’t know borders,” explains Ruben. “Their migration routes cover not only a corridor through Armenia but also reach out in particular to Iran and Azerbaijan. Much more field exploration is necessary to map and understand this regional leopard corridor.”

FPWC is working to strengthen regional cross-border cooperation in order to form a leopard coalition uniting relevant NGOs and governmental institutions in all countries of the South Caucasus.

According to Ruben: “The involvement of international partners such as World Land Trust and IUCN NL is of vital importance for this process in the South Caucasus as they can foster cross-border dialogue and cooperation even where official contacts are difficult. “

International charity World Land Trust (WLT) was formed in 1989 to acquire threatened land of high biodiversity value for the purposes of nature conservation. WLT’s Patrons are Sir David Attenborough, David Gower and Chris Packham.

WLT has been supporting FPWC’s work since 2010, and has recently funded the extension of FPWC’s Caucasus Wildlife Refuge and the employment of rangers to protect the site.

The first hints of a leopard in the Caucasus Wildlife Refuge (CWR) date from spring 2012, when rangers found foot prints in the snow. These were later identified by FPWC experts as typical for a big cat – most probably a leopard.

The first indication of the presence of a leopard in the Wildlife Refuge needed more thorough exploration. In the summer of 2012, FPWC field experts started a systematic investigation of all areas of the refuge considered ‘leopard friendly’. During these excursions they collected scat and pieces of fur the animal had most probably lost while passing thorny shrubs. Though the experts were sure that the samples came from a leopard, final confirmation could only be proved by genetic analysis.

The Caucasus Wildlife Refuge offers excellent habitat for this rare predator. Due to recent measures to prevent hunting, populations of prey species such as Bezoar Goats have increased tremendously so there is plenty of potential leopard prey.

Related articles

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Iranian leopard news

This video is called In the Balance: The Caucasus Leopard.

From Wildlife Extra:

Old leopard still roaming Iran

Leopard was first seen in 2004

February 2013. Recent camera trapping in central Iran indicates that an old Persian leopard roams in Bafq Protected Area; the cat is estimated to be at least 12 to 14 years. This adult male was first recorded by camera traps in late 2004, and he was a prime individual at that time. Later, he was photo-trapped regularly and he was the main star in occasional encounters with game wardens and visitors, based on spot patterns comparison. In 2007, he was equipped with GPS collar for six months by CACP, WCS and Panthera, which revealed that he covered most of this 850 square kilometre reserve.

In 2012, the animal was still a dominant male who ranged across most of the reserve, indicating that he is the oldest ever identified Persian leopard in the wild. Large cats normally live no longer than 10 years in the wild, despite their significantly longer lifespan in captivity (sometimes up-to 25 years). Bafq Protected Area which is one of the main hotspots for the Persian leopard in central Iran, is threatened by a proposed road which is planned to pass through the heart of the area.

Read more about the work of The Iranian Cheetah Society (ICS) here.

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Iranian leopards threatened by road plans

This video is called Caucasian (Persian) Leopard.

From Wildlife Extra:

Eleven leopards identified on proposed road route in Iran

Bafq Protected Area under threat from new road

January 2013. During a one year monitoring program in Bafq Protected Area in central Iran, eleven Persian leopards were identified, including four males and four females, and two of them are accompanied by one single and one set of twin cubs. Moreover, one of single females was filmed accompanied by an adult male which can be indication of breeding of the third female in the population.

Launched in January 2012, a one year camera trapping program was implemented by the Iranian Cheetah Society (ICS) and Yazd Department of Environment in partnership with (Asiatic Cheetah Project) CACP and Panthera to understand the population make up of the Asiatic cheetah and the Persian leopard across multiple reserves in central Iran, including Bafq.

It is unusual to record two different families of the leopards in a single area in west Asia, and this suggests the high potential of Bafq to re-colonize surrounding habitats, if they are properly protected. According to recent information, the female with two cubs has successfully raised her cubs and they have now left her and become independent; her last image shows that she is now solitary, probably looking around to find a mate for the next year. Moreover, both of her independent offspring have been confirmed to be female, making 6 female leopards in a single reserve, assuming that all four of the other females are still alive.

Bad news

Recently one of the Bafq Governor’s Office authorities declared that the area does not merit protection, stating “We believe that with no more than two leopards and 6 cheetahs, Bafq Protected Area does not have high environmental importance to continue its protection as a reserve”. However these investigations have revealed that the largest single population of the endangered Persian leopard in central Iran occurs in Bafq, and it is unusual to find six females in a similar sized area elsewhere in west Asia.

Bafq protected area – Under threat

Established in 1996, the 850 km2 Bafq Protected Area is one of the main habitats for various cats in Iran, but it is under severe threat from plans to construct a road through the area. The Iranian Cheetah Society, Yazd DoE and Conservation of Asiatic Cheetah Project (CACP) are negotiating with communities and authorities over this potential threat, and huge media coverage has been brought to stop the road. Undoubtedly, the Bafq road is nowadays the largest concern for Iranian environmentalists for the survival of the Asiatic cheetahs and Persian leopards.

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Clouded leopard cubs video

From the Zooborns site about this video from the USA:

Today we check back in on the Nashville Zoo‘s playful trio of Clouded Leopard cubs. Because of high infant mortality rates, these cubs are being hand-raised by Zoo staff. Nashville Zoo participates in the Thailand Clouded Leopard Consortium, which leads a multi-faceted conservation program that includes a viable self-sustaining breeding program.

April 2013. After an unsuccessful 13 year search for the Formosan clouded leopard, the species has been officially declared extinct. The last known sighting was in 1983 by a hunter, though a few reports of pugmarks persisted into the 1990′s: here.

National Zoo Clouded Leopard Cubs Grow Up and Chow Down: here.

Snow leopards may be called leopards, but they’re most closely related to tigers: here.

Thriving Snow leopard population discovered in Afghanistan: here.

AN illegal trophy hunt of a leopard, implicating a South African hunter, is being investigated by Namibian authorities: here.

Also in Namibia: FOUR men got N$1 000 bail on a charge of illegal hunting of a rare and expensive yellow blesbok ram on their neighbour’s farm at Driedoring between Kalkrand and Mariental: here.

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Sumatran clouded leopard video, a first

From New Scientist:

Nature’s most elusive big cat has been caught on camera for the first time, revealing fur with a stunning pattern of spots (see video above). Conservation specialists from the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) recently caught a rare glimpse of the Sumatran Sundaland clouded leopard while working on the island of Sumatra. The cat was filmed with a camera trap set up in Berbak National Park as part of a conservation effort to prevent deforestation.

Leopard photographed in Yemen for the first time: here.

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South African leopards like Chanel perfume

This video from Africa is called Leopard looks after baby baboon.

From the Cape Argus in South Africa:

South Africa: Leopards Follow Scent – of Chanel

John Yeld

The leopard wears Prada? Or is it perhaps Dior, or Chanel?

The hidden Cape mountain leopards of the Cederberg are revealing some of their secrets, thanks partly to their weakness for expensive perfumes.

This surprising trait is being exploited by the Cape Leopard Trust whose researchers spray a liberal dose of perfume – deodorants are also effective – on the cage traps they’re using to catch, collar and release these charismatic but threatened animals.

The latest leopard to be seduced by a gorgeous perfume is “Oom Arrie”. This very healthy and unusually large 44kg male leopard – named after the manager of the Bakkrans game reserve in the Cederberg – was finally physically trapped a full 18 months after being first “caught” by a camera trap.

“On December 15, 2005, the chairman of the Cederberg Conservancy, Jannie Nieuwoudt, several of his employees and I carried a very heavy leopard cage trap a couple of kilometres over some exceptionally rocky terrain in order to be able to capture ‘M2′ who had been seen in our camtrap picture,” Cape Leopard Trust project manager Quinton Martins recalled this week.

“I knew very little of this male’s movements, other than from the records from our camera traps and from his spoor.

“Little did I know then that it would take one-and-a-half years and more than 200 trap nights before we would finally manage to collar this animal – the eighth we’ve managed to collar since the inception of the project in the Cederberg.”

This cage trap was situated along the Groot River near the mountain lodge, Mount Ceder.

A VHF transmitter was attached to it and the signal was checked twice a day to see whether it had been triggered.

Martins and field assistant Willem Titus also monitored the cage on foot every second or third day to see whether there were tracks in the area.

“Luckily, other than a baboon and a klipspringer [see also here], both released unharmed, there was little ‘by catch’ in this trap,” Martins said.

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