Leopard Predation Thread

[Styx38]

Leopard predation on Feral Cattle in China.


"Figure 2 shows the number of livestock preyed on by the north China leopard within the 4 year study period (2015–2018) in and around the Tieqiaoshan Provincial Nature Reserve. A total of 173 livestock were killed, out of which 125 (72%) were adult cattle, 40 (23%) were calves, and 8 (5%) were sheep.

This study shows that the number of livestock species killed by north China leopards in and around the Tieqiaoshan Provincial Nature Reserve differed significantly. Among the livestock, north China leopards killed more cattle. This is contrary to the findings of [3,25], who mentioned in their studies that leopard killed more goats, followed by sheep. This could probably be due to the reasons that goats are not domesticated in and around of this reserve, and most of the sheep kept are not free-range. Therefore, the free-range system of the farming of cattle practiced in and around the reserve makes it ideal for the north China leopard to prey them. In the free-range system, the cattle roam freely outdoors rather than being confined in an enclosure for 24 h each day"

*This image is copyright of its original author

source: Consolee et. al. 2020. Human-Leopard Conflict: An Emerging Issue of North China Leopard Conservation in Tieqiaoshan Provincial Nature Reserve in Shanxi Province, China


Seems Leopards in China have a preference for adult free-ranging Cattle.

The Cattle in China are fairly big.

"Most Chinese dairy cattle (Chinese Black and White) are derived from cross-breeding between the local yellow cattle and Holstein. According to data collected by the CDCA in 1981, in 28 provinces and the autonomous regions of China, adult have a height of 133 cm and weigh 550 kg, while bulls are 150 cm high and weigh 1 020 kg, entirely meeting the breeding programme requirements.

The characteristics of Qinchuan cattle (Figure 2) are a purplish red or red coat, yellowish pink eyes and muzzle, short and full horns, a higher and wider hump for bulls, a short, thick neck and well-developed dewlap. The average height of bulls at the wither is 141.7 cm, with a body weight of 590 kg. The cow stands 124.5 cm high and weighs 380 kg. On national farms, bulls weigh between 800 and 1 000 kg and their height is 145 to 150 cm. The cows have a height of 130 cm and weigh 450 kg"

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