Rainforest Leopards

[Jubatus]

Congo Basin Leopards (Part 2, status in the wild and conflict with humans)

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Its been thougth for sometime now that Leopards in the rainforests thrive, and Martin and Meulenaer (1988) even stated that the Congo Basin withheld 40% of Africas Leopard population. With a staggering 40 ind./per km2. But the Leopard population today is slowly declining, and for that, there`s only humans to blame. 

The latest cencus stated that there is 2.7-12.1 Leopards per/100km2, depending on the area of course. I acctually think that 12.1 Leopards per/100km2 is good, and I think we must work towards populations like this in all of the Congo Basin. 

The Bush meat trade is what is causing the leopards population to decline. Because humans living in these areas are living of the trade. And unfortunatly the main prey species of leopards (Duikers, Red River Hogs, Diffrerent primates etc.) is also what is the most demanded species in the trade. In a census done in Gabon they collected Leopard scats from 4 diffrent areas (as i mentioned in my previous post), all situaded at diffrent locations from humans. Area 1, which was fairly close to humans, withheld no Leopards at all. There were no scats to collect, because that area is a hunting ground for humans, and there is little, to no prey at all for Leopards to hunt. In area 2, which is also kind of close to human settlements, and was also a hunting ground for humans. Leopards had to live of smaller prey, practically no Ungulates or Primates. So they had to live of smaller rodents and birds. Cases like these have also been seen in the Ivory Coast where leopards also had to move away from their usual prey (>40 kg), and move down to much smaller prey items (<20 kg)

Losing leopards from the Congo Basin would have a devistating effect on the eco-system of the forest. Leopards as the sole big Carnivore, and the apex predator, and is what keeps the bigger ungulates from overpopulating the rainforest. Without Leopards, the only carnivores that can be found is African Golden Cats. In some areas where Leopards have been locally extinct the Red River Hog population has gone through the roof, with an 100% increase in their population. This is resulting in loss of rainforest. Plants becomes eaten down, and large areas become plowed for everything thats in the hogs way. A similar case from central Africa where Leopards were locally extinct, the giant forrest hog population also increased massivly after the Leopards dissapearence. Reply