Threats to Leopards & Leopard Conservation

[Lisbeth]

Will the Zulu traditional dress wipe out the SA leopard?
2016-02-29 13:46 - Scott Ramsay
Will the Zulu traditional dress wipe out the SA leopard?

Zulu people revere leopards, and consider it a totem animal with special powers. Yet several high-profile individuals, including President Jacob Zuma and King Goodwill Zwelithini wear real leopard skins to traditional ceremonial events.

Environmental regulations stipulate that every leopard skin in the country needs a permit issued from the government.

Leopards are listed on the stringent Appendix 1 of CITES, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, an international organisation that controls the trade of wild animals and their body parts. And in South Africa, the Biodiversity Act adds an even higher level of protection.

‘The law in principle protects leopards. The Act states that it’s illegal to possess a leopard skin without a permit. Even though thousands of Zulus own skins, no permits have been issued in KZN or the rest of SA in the last few years,’ says Tristan Dickerson, a leopard researcher for conservation organization Panthera.

Yet the law means little to a cultural group that has valued leopard skins for over a century, ever since King Cetshwayo became the first monarch to wear a so-called amambatha in the 1870s.

These days, thousands of leopard skins are worn by members of the Shembe Church. Also known as the Nazareth Baptist Church, this church has its stronghold in northern KwaZulu-Natal.

The religion is a blend of Old Testament Christianity and traditional Zulu traditions, particularly reverence for ancestors. Close to one million followers belong to the church, founded by Isaiah Shembe (1870–1935), who is believed to be an African prophet of the Christian faith.

“Each one of these one million worshippers is quite fond of leopard skins,’ Tristan says. ‘Such demand is clearly not so good for the conservation of leopards.’

‘We have to work with the Shembe rather than against them,’ he says. ‘Most of the members don’t know it’s illegal. The leopard is such a huge part of the Zulu culture. Let’s be real. If we went in fighting, things would collapse and even more leopards would be killed. We have to offer a viable solution.’

The solution is to supply fake furs, made in China, to the Shembe Church. Panthera’s Furs for Life project has been a huge success, with more than 8 000 man-made skins supplied, with funding from Peace Parks Foundation. A further 13 000 furs will be supplied over the next two years.

While some members of the Zulu nation may not know the law, and inadvertently buy real leopard skins – at a price of about R4 500 - the western market for leopard furs was once the biggest reason for the drastic decline in Africa’s leopard population.

According to leopard biologist Dr Guy Balme, “trade in spotted cat skins was the major driver of leopard declines and most of the spotted cat species. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, it was estimated that roughly 50 000 leopards were being killed every year to fuel this demand.”

In the 1980s leopards were listed on CITES Appendix 1, receiving the highest protection, which brought an end to the fur trade. Leopards are listed as "Near Threatened" on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species.

According to Balme, they should be uplisted to "Vulnerable", which is just one rank lower than “Endangered”. He estimates – based on research with other leopard experts around Africa – that in the last 100 years, the species has disappeared from 40% of it’s traditional range.

“The worst culprits are West and Central Africa, where leopards have disappeared from most of their range. But the same goes for Southern and East Africa, where there’s evidence that leopard numbers are dropping rapidly outside of protected areas.”

In South Africa, where wildlife and livestock farming is big business, a leopard can cause much damage. It’s estimated that 68% of suitable leopard habitat is found outside of protected areas in South Africa. This means leopards regularly come into contact with farmers, communities and urban areas, where they pose real threats.

“Leopards cause significant problems to owners of livestock. They are opportunistic hunters, and won’t think twice before killing 30 sheep in a kraal.”

The same goes for game farmers, whose lucrative antelope can sell for hundreds of thousands of rands.

“A black impala can sell for R15 000 so if a leopards eats one of your black impala, you’re likely to be very angry,” explains Balme.

Then there’s trophy hunting.

Despite the crash in leopard numbers, CITES still allows for about 2 000 leopards to be hunted for sport across 13 African states every year. In Tanzania and Zimbabwe, 500 leopards are on quota.

Recently, the South African government has placed a one-year ban on all leopard hunting, prohibiting the issue of the usual 150 annual permits until a reliable figure for the country’s leopard population has been credibly established.

And this seems to be the biggest challenge for leopard conservationists.

“For the most part, we are operating in this knowledge vacuum. Leopards are a cryptic species. They’re elusive, they’re wide-ranging and they’re nocturnal. When it comes to making management decisions it’s very hard.”

Also, leopard numbers have dropped to such an extent that poachers are now looking further afield for skins.

“When you talk to traders,” Balme explains, “they say they’re finding it very difficult to find leopard skins here in South Africa now. So they’re sourcing skins from as far afield as Malawi, Zambia, northern Mozambique, and Zimbabwe.”

[Lisbeth]

Kavango Zambezi TFCA, Leopard Protection Programme, Wildlife Crime | 29 August 2019



Earlier this month in western Zambia, Panthera, the global wild cat conservation organization, and the Barotse Royal Establishment of the Lozi People in partnership with Peace Parks Foundation and Cartier launched the Saving Spots project – an innovative and culturally-sensitive conservation initiative that seeks to protect declining wild cat populations using synthetic leopard, serval and lion furs, known as ‘Heritage Furs’.

Held annually on the Zambezi River in the Barotseland Kingdom, the Kuomboka festival (meaning ‘to get out of the water’) involves passage of His Majesty the Lozi King between palaces by barge. Historically, the King’s barge has carried approximately 200 paddlers adorned with ornate, full-length skirts or lipatelo made of nearly a thousand leopard and serval furs. Paddlers have also traditionally worn red berets topped with lion mane headpieces, known as mishukwe.

With the roll out of this new wild cat conservation initiative at the Royal Palace in Mongu, festival attendees received 200 Panthera-created synthetic leopard and serval fur lipatelo and 200 synthetic lion mishukwe, which have replaced the use of real furs and, we expect, will help to reduce the hunting of hundreds of wild cats across southern Africa where the species are severely threatened.

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29 August 2019

Earlier this month in western Zambia, Panthera, the global wild cat conservation organization, and the Barotse Royal Establishment of the Lozi People in partnership with Peace Parks Foundation and Cartier launched the Saving Spots project – an innovative and culturally-sensitive conservation initiative that seeks to protect declining wild cat populations using synthetic leopard, serval and lion furs, known as ‘Heritage Furs’.
Held annually on the Zambezi River in the Barotseland Kingdom, the Kuomboka festival (meaning ‘to get out of the water’) involves passage of His Majesty the Lozi King between palaces by barge. Historically, the King’s barge has carried approximately 200 paddlers adorned with ornate, full-length skirts or lipatelo made of nearly a thousand leopard and serval furs. Paddlers have also traditionally worn red berets topped with lion mane headpieces, known as mishukwe.

With the roll out of this new wild cat conservation initiative at the Royal Palace in Mongu, festival attendees received 200 Panthera-created synthetic leopard and serval fur lipatelo and 200 synthetic lion mishukwe, which have replaced the use of real furs and, we expect, will help to reduce the hunting of hundreds of wild cats across southern Africa where the species are severely threatened.

His Royal Highness the Lozi Senior Chief, Inyambo Yeta, stated, “The Barotse Royal Establishment was concerned that leopard and other cat populations are dwindling in Zambia, and as a conservation oriented establishment, worked with Panthera to devise a culturally appropriate solution to reduce the impact on wild cats.”

Lozi leadership was instrumental in ensuring adoption of the Heritage Furs, with official endorsement and valuable design input provided by His Majesty the King and the Senior Chief. Working with digital designers, Panthera arranged for the manufacturing of the ceremonial regalia in China and tailoring in South Africa. Along with the garments donated last week, Panthera will provide an additional 400 Heritage Furs to the Barotse Royal Establishment.


Heritage Furs were presented to the Lozi King at an official ceremony held in August 2019. Photo: Sarah Davies

Panthera Leopard Program Director and Conservation Science Deputy Director, Dr. Guy Balme, stated, “The roll out of the Heritage Furs to the Lozi people offers a lifeline to leopards in Zambia and beyond. Innovative solutions such as this, that garner local support and can be implemented at scale, are needed to turn the tide for a species in desperate need of increased conservation attention.”

Earlier this year, the United Nations global biodiversity report raised red flags regarding the extinction crisis facing 1,000,000 species, including big cats like leopards. Many communities across Africa believe that those wearing leopard furs are imbued with its enviable qualities, including strength, grace and stealth.

Despite this reverence for the species, the illegal killing of leopards for use in ceremonial attire is devastating the big cat’s populations across Africa, alongside bushmeat poaching, conflict with people, habitat loss and unsustainable trophy hunting. Panthera scientists estimated that nearly 200 paddlers were dressed in furs from approximately 150 leopards and 800 servals at the 2018 Kuomboka festival.


Maswabi Lishandu, the Saving Spots Community Engagement Officer, models the Heritage Furs. Photo: Gareth Whittington-Jones-Panthera

Speaking on behalf of His Majesty the Litunga Lubosi Imwiko II in front of his council, and over 400 Lozi community members at last week’s event, the Prime Minister of Barotseland tated, “We are grateful for Panthera’s partnership in saving Zambia’s wildlife with the donation of these regalia. Only an expert could tell the difference between the garments and original furs. We greatly look forward to all the paddlers using these at the next Kuomboka festival.”

In order to track leopard population trends and tailor conservation efforts accordingly, the project has additionally established a robust monitoring network that extends across the Namibian, Zambian, Zimbabwean components of the Kavango Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area. Thus far, survey results have painted a bleak picture for leopards in areas historically considered strongholds for the species, underscoring the dire need for increased conservation efforts and funding on their behalf.

The Saving Spots project is operated through and modeled after Panthera’s Furs For Life program. With leopard populations in southern Africa declining at alarming rates, Furs For Life was formed in 2013 after Panthera scientists discovered that as many as 15,000 illegal leopard fur capes were being used by followers of the Nazareth Baptist Shembe Church during religious gatherings.

In six years, Furs For Life has donated more than 18,500 synthetic leopard fur capes to the Shembe community, decreasing the use of real leopard furs at religious gatherings by half and preventing hundreds of leopard deaths each year. Now successfully replicated in Zambia, the Furs For Life model holds great potential for adoption within additional willing communities across southern Africa that currently utilize cat and other animal furs during traditional ceremonies.

https://www.peaceparks.org/using-fabric ... in-zambia/

[Lisbeth]

Surprisingly they have accepted, it seems

[Peter Betts]

But the Fat cat American $$$ Trophy Hunters just keep on shooting them from Baited Trees or with packs of Dogs..Baiting them out of South Luangwa and Kafue

[Lisbeth]

Exploitation changes leopard behaviour with long-term genetic costs

May 10, 2020 9.30am BST | Vincent Naude, PhD student, University of Cape Town - Guy Balme, Honorary Research Associate, University of Cape Town - Jacqueline Bishop, Senior Lecturer in Conservation Biology, University of Cape Town


Growing evidence suggests that most leopard populations across southern Africa are threatened by exploitation. GettyImages

Throughout their range leopards are in rapid decline, having disappeared from North Africa, much of the Middle East and Asia. Declines have been so severe that the species is now considered vulnerable to extinction. No comprehensive estimates of the number of leopards remaining in the wild exist.

In southern Africa, 62% of leopard distribution falls outside of formally protected areas. This unprotected landscape is highly fragmented by both agriculture and urban development.

Threats to leopards include habitat fragmentation, killing for fear of livestock loss and poorly managed trophy hunting. Leopards are poached through deliberate or opportunistic poisoning and wire-snaring. Their body parts are also illegally traded for traditional medicine and cultural attire.

Conservationists are concerned that these threats contribute to the overall decline in leopard numbers. Conserving leopards successfully requires us to track population numbers and trends. However, leopards are notoriously elusive and occur at low densities, which makes monitoring difficult.

Threats to many wild cat populations across southern Africa are often age and sex-biased. How these threats influence leopard behaviour is poorly understood.

The research

Our study explored the long-term genetic costs of exploitation-driven changes in the behaviour of leopards. To do this we compared the social and genetic structure of two well-studied populations in South Africa; a protected population and one recovering from over-exploitation since 2005, where 50% of leopard deaths were human-related.

Using GPS collars, guide sightings and genetic samples, we gathered over 15 years of data to reconstruct home ranges and family pedigrees for 150 leopards across both reserves. This allowed us to examine the behaviour of related individuals over multiple generations, with and without exploitation.

Typically, female leopards establish territories close to their mothers, while males settle away from their natal range. At sexual maturity (~3 years), sons compete with surrounding males for access to territory and mates. Often overcome by these large established males, sons are forced to disperse out of the area, creating a “genetic out-breeding effect”. By “moving out” to establish a territory away from “home”, sons avoid breeding with closely related females.

Inbreeding at the level of sisters, mothers and aunts can have severe consequences in big cats. These range from physical defects like tail “kinks”, to severe reproductive costs and even sterility.

In both populations, we found that daughters established home ranges near their mothers. Here they benefit from the resource knowledge of their mother’s territory. In the fully protected population, sons dispersed out of their maternal home ranges, moving away from closely related females.

But in the historically over-exploited population, many young males did not disperse. Instead, their newly established home ranges overlapped with those of their sisters, mothers and aunts. Here, territory “gaps”, created by the killing of large males, allowed sons to escape competition and establish territories alongside their mothers.

The problem? Males in the exploited population stopped dispersing and, as a result, destabilised the out-breeding mechanism for this population. This increased the likelihood of young males fathering cubs with closely related females.

We found evidence of this with a father-daughter and two half-sibling mating events. Known breeding pairs in this population were also highly related, the equivalent of at least half-siblings. While the overall population was growing, it retained signatures of inbreeding despite over 10 years of recovery.

What does this mean for leopard conservation?

The risk of inbreeding in small, over-exploited populations is well known. However, few studies have the necessary long-term data to demonstrate this direct link. We show clear evidence of how exploitation can disrupt the dispersal behaviour of leopards, ultimately leading to inbreeding.

Our study is among the first to demonstrate these risks in a large solitary wild cat species. We emphasise that even “recovering” populations still carry the inbreeding “scars” of historical exploitation. While reduced genetic diversity exposes populations to the challenges of future disturbances, including disease outbreak, habitat loss and climate change.

Increasing evidence suggests most leopard populations across southern Africa are threatened by exploitation. Long-term genetic costs should stimulate discussion among scientists, reserve managers and policymakers who aim to effectively conserve this species.

The recovery of leopard numbers in historically exploited protected areas is crucial to safeguarding the 62% of unprotected leopard range from loss. Promoting movement between reserves to encourage gene flow requires suitable wildlife corridors for leopards, even through already transformed land.

Left unregulated, the unsustainable exploitation of leopards will have severe ecological and evolutionary costs. We have demonstrated that removing too many individuals, especially of a particular age or sex, can destabilise a population. By changing the social dynamics of individual behaviour and this increases the chance of inbreeding.

Population monitoring of leopards indicates that habitat loss and population declines are similar to lion and rhino. Yet their silent disappearance goes largely unnoticed due to their broad distribution and elusive nature. We have only just begun to understand and effectively conserve these magnificent cats.

[Peter Betts]

Very Very sad ..but at least the Red Necked Texan Spotted Cat Rug Hunters have to stay at home this year ..One for the leopards

[Klipspringer]

https://www.capetownetc.com/news/sanpar ... -activity/


SANParks asks visitors to report illegal activity
Published by leila stein on July 26, 2020

SANParks has asked visitors and communities surrounding their parks to report any illegal activities, after a Cape leopard was found killed by a snare in the Tsitsikamma National Park.

The male leopard had been caught by the snare and entangled to the point that he died.

“Snares are illegal, inhumane and threaten the many terrestrial mammals and birds, listed on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red data list as either vulnerable or near threatened. The Cape Leopard is listed as near-threatened,” said the Park.

They said this was the second snare they found since the Tsitsikamma National Park increased foot patrols, observation points and vehicle patrols in terrestrial areas.

To assist with this, they are appealing to visitors to report any illegal behaviour so it can be dealt with swiftly.

Visitors can contact the relevant park authorities or the SANParks toll free line on 0800 000 221.

[Richprins]

[Lisbeth]

Finally, SanParks pronounce themselves clearly against snaring

[Peter Betts]

Why are they not Patrolling!!!