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Leopard Predation Thread
Leopard Predation Thread
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Leopard Predation Thread
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Chimp killed by Leopard in the Tai Forest of the Ivory Coast:
 *This image is copyright of its original author *This image is copyright of its original author  *This image is copyright of its original author *This image is copyright of its original author source: The Chimpanzees of Tai Forest: Behavioral ecology and Evolution by Christophe Boesch 
Honey badger is able to be extremely courageous for rescuing a cub. And its audacity can pay off. But, of course the leopard can be surprised but, as concerns it, it doesn't go any further.
 *This image is copyright of its original author Fig. 1. Bonobo digit found in a leopard scat sample. https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/aeb2/71ca5750ba22b86bc7a7506ee1cba56357ff.pdf Quote: Wrote:Remains of gorillas and chimpanzees were found in scats nine and six times respectively. For each species age classification of the consumed individual was possible for three scats. For gorilla, the individuals consumed were adult in all three cases, and for chimpanzee two were adult and one was juvenile. Leopard food habits in the Lopé National Park, Gabon, Central Africa (Henschel et. al 2005) It seems easier to find Leopard scat than any Leopard kill on a trap cam in the Congo Basin. Here is a the closest image of a Congo Leopard kill I could find.  *This image is copyright of its original author https://blog.nationalgeographic.org/2013/02/25/secret-congo-camera-traps-reveal-a-dark-forest-refuge/ ^ I think this is a chicken. @  (08-14-2019, 12:27 AM)Styx38 Wrote: Not from Gabon, but I have posted this in the 'Rainforest leopards' thread but I'll post it since it belongs here aswell: Evidence of a Congolese leopard predating on a red river hog (sow):  *This image is copyright of its original author  *This image is copyright of its original author  *This image is copyright of its original author  *This image is copyright of its original author  *This image is copyright of its original author  *This image is copyright of its original author  *This image is copyright of its original author
Time to time this matter comes up here and there.
Just a reminder, that in addition to scientific studies, there are some serious observations about it, that also silverback gorillas can get killed by leopards. Here is one description from George Schaller, he has published also his personal observation. From past there are many kind of stories, but Schaller is one of those, who is highly respected among experts. Source: https://books.google.fi/books?id=P8ca5WX...&q&f=false
Here is a case of a male Chimpanzee that was thought to be killed by a Leopard
 *This image is copyright of its original author " On August 7, 1995, I found the carcass of a chimpanzee in a forest about 300 m from the sea line. A part of the body that included the shoulders was on the ground with hairs scattered around it; The left hand was found 3 m north of the shoulder, and.the lower half of the body was found 10 m north of the left hand. The right hand Pan Africa News, 7(2), December, 2000 was found 17 m east of the shoulder, and the head was found 15 m south of the right hand, with its eyes wide opened (Fig. 1). The abdominal region and internal organs were not found, probably because they had been eaten. The head of the chimpanzee was infested with maggots, but the blood remaining on fallen leaves was not dry, indicating that the predation had occurred 1 or 2 days before. The cranial bone was collected and examined (Fig. 2). There was no injury remaining on the skull. The canines were large. Third molars were all erupted completely, but with slight wear. Thus this chimpanzee was considered to be a late adolescent male of 12 ·or 13 years old (Mauri, personal communication}. Leopard dung was found at the side of the chimpanzee shoulders, and there were new footprints of an adult leopard in a savanna grassland about 20 m from the carcass. These remains suggest that an adult leopard ate a late adolescent male chimpanzee, which was probably killed by the leopard because leopards do not usually eat dead animals. Although I do not know whether this chimpanzee was in good health, this observation suggests the· possibility that predation by leopards is a threat for chimpanzees in this area. " Possible Case of Predation on a Chimpanzee by a Leopard in the Petit Loango Reserve, Gabon. by Takeshi Furuichi https://repository.kulib.kyoto-u.ac.jp/dspace/bitstream/2433/143555/1/PAN7(2)_21.pdf @ Here is the only footage I found: It is post #333 on this thread. It is an older video by Xavier Hubert-Brierre, who currently focuses on animals reacting to mirrors. @Shadow I apologize if I accidentally started another thread war. My point was that it is easier to find Leopard scat in the rain forests than any proper kill photo. I just copied and pasted an older post of mine, so I forgot to highlight both the Gorilla and Chimp remains For example, Gorilla toe in Leopard dung:  *This image is copyright of its original author "Leopard attack on and the consumption of gorillas in the Central African Republic", by J.M Fay et al, Journal of Human Evolution (1995), 29, 93-99.
A little bit more about leopards and gorillas.
I mentioned earlier about George Schaller and his observations. I don´t remember now in which book he mentioned that personal observation, where he found silverback gorilla and leopard, which had killed each others. But it has been mentioned in many places. One is this book, which is award winner: Man the Hunted: Primates, Predators, and Human Evolution https://books.google.fi/books?id=MxdWDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT196&lpg=PT196&dq=george+schaller+leopard+killed+silverback&source=bl&ots=vO0I2w92QG&sig=ACfU3U0QT-GeG_v8b38lh0Bt7fOg_21GyA&hl=fi&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjQ35PJg4PkAhXwlosKHXtNAFgQ6AEwDnoECAkQAQ#v=onepage&q=george%20schaller%20leopard%20killed%20silverback&f=false Here is short video about George Schaller, just that people can briefly get some understanding who he is. Here then one case, where in zoo leopard makes full frontal attack and kills a mature male gorilla. https://virginiachronicle.com/cgi-bin/virginia?a=d&d=HR19490923.2.13&e=-------en-20--1--txt-txIN------- Problem with older articles is often reliability. Not possible to find places, dates or people who would have been involved. Or then description of event is more like fairy tale than looking like realistic description what happened. In this case description looks like to be ok. And also it´s possible to find other sources confirming for instance, that Edward Johnson really was working in the zoo mentioned in article. http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=19931020&slug=1726969 There is also Liberty Lake in Spokane, Washington, USA. So places are ok. Another article about same incident: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/96217928 Third: https://www.newspapers.com/clip/33900208/ll_gorilla_pg_2/ In this third is mentioned sheriff Ralph M. Smith and he can be tracked down too. He is mentioned for instance here: http://cfp.stparchive.com/page_image.php?paper=CFP&year=1953&month=7&day=24&page=7&mode=F&base=CFP07241953P07&title=Cheney%20Free%20Press This is screenshot of one article about this case, also photo of leopard there.  *This image is copyright of its original author And yes, Virginia Chronicle article has been published later, maybe lack of news at time or they got information later, remember, it was 1949. Anyway, for me this case is good, With relatively small digging many details and persons can be verified. So this case backs up observations of highly respected animal experts. There is also one case, which I don´t now dig up (should make better notes time to time...), but in that case a leopard attacked a gorilla in situation, where there were two gorillas. One could escape right away, another gorilla was wounded, but it managed to flee, leopard followed it a bit, but gave up shortly. This was concluded from tracks, spilled blood and noises, which caused people nearby to notice what was happening. This case was in one newspaper article from Africa. Walter Baumgartel is one person who has told about his observations what comes to leopard predation of gorillas. Then George Schaller and also Michael Fay have studied the subject. Here one quote from Michael Fay and also what locals have told to him is included to this. There are more sources about findings of Fay if someone is interested. "Although human hunters are lowland gorillas' chief enemy, Pygmies have told Fay that leopards eat gorillas. At one site he studied, Fay confirmed these reports when he found intact gorilla toes in some leopard dung." Source: https://www.deseret.com/1989/5/7/18806289/gorillas-have-body-language-all-their-own So when someone asks from me, what do I think about leopards and gorillas and can leopard kill a silverback gorilla face to face, my answer is, that I have no doubt about it, that it can. Then again naturally and obviously it attacks usually with ambush advantage. Does that happen often and is that likely, that leopard attack on purpose targeting silverback? I don´t think so, naturally leopard likes to get easier prey when possible. But if there is not a group of gorillas helping, my opinion is, that then gorilla is in bigger trouble than a leopard, if leopard chooses to attack. At least some leopards seem to know what they are doing with gorillas and gorillas seem to be quite easy to make bleed fast and a lot compared to some other animals. Cut in groin area seem to be a quick way to kill a gorilla, some artery seems to be there quite "available". Leopard is far from invincible, but what comes to apes, it looks like that their defence is based on groups, as individuals they are in big trouble, even silverback dominant male gorillas, even though male gorillas are without a doubt "risky business". Still in cases, which can be considered reliable or probable leopards have upper hand. These are my thoughts and reasoning. Someone can disagree, but my opinion is quite clear. Expert opinions and observations are such, that I don´t dare to ignore. Gorillas are impressive, but strength obviously isn´t enough always. I have been asked about this time to time, so I decided to put here a bit longer posting about it what I think and why.
About #397 @
Discussions and debates, disagreements are part of forum like this. Here just are some rules to keep discussions civilized and rational. No point to make big claims if not able to give any reasoning. 
Well this is incredible video to watch, Watching this video make me feel that Leopard are more agile and comfortable on trees than monkeys...
See how fast this leopard climb and catch running monkey....
I found one study about gorillas, in it is also part about leopard predation:
https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/8b15/89dcb59b230c2b1726424a065ecab6e7ca3d.pdf Name of study: Interunit, environmental and interspecific influences on silverback-group dynamics in western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) Michelle Klailova A thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Department of Psychology University of Stirling February 2011 Quote: "Evidence from previous studies suggests that forest leopards may adapt their hunting behaviour to follow individual preferences for particular prey species [Jenny & Zuberbuhler, 2005; Zuberbuhler & Jenny, 2002]. Although the actual level of risk faced by western lowland gorillas as a result of leopard predation is uncertain, evidence is mounting to suggest that they along with other apes are targeted as leopard prey. In the early 1960s, Schaller [1963] confirmed the deaths of 2-3 adult male mountain gorillas due to leopard attack. During a five year period in Taï National Park, Côte d’Ivoire, Boesch [1991] documented nine separate leopard attacks on chimpanzees. Leopard predation was also strongly suspected in the death of a silverback at Mbeli Bai, Republic of Congo, and of a blackback at the Lossi study site, Democratic Republic of Congo [Robbins et al., 2004]. Fay et al., [1995] and Watson [1999] witnessed leopard attacks on adult gorillas at both gorilla habituation study sites (Bai Hokou/Mongambe) in the Dzanga-Sangha Protected Areas Complex, Central African Republic. Furthermore in 1999the Bai Hokou study group’s main silverback was severely injured in an attack which led to his eventual demise. Although the attacking species could not be verified, attempted leopard predation was suspected due to suspicious claw-like markings on the focal adult male’s back [Cipolletta, 2003; Cipolletta pers. comm.]. Additional records at Bai Hokou show that leopards were detected near gorilla groups on three occasions and that their presence affected group ranging patterns [Goldsmith, 1999; Klailova pers. obsv.]. Finally, although scavenging cannot be ruled out, gorilla and chimpanzee remains in leopard faeces have been recorded at various rainforest sites [Fay et al., 1995; Hart et al., 1996; Henschel et al., 2005, 2008; Ososky, 1998; Tutin & Benirschke, 1991]. The slow life histories of gorillas coupled with a growing inventory of suspected and verified predation incidents, suggest that the leopard could be an important cause of mortality in some ape populations [Robbins et al., 2004]. However, due to the cryptic nature of the forest leopard and challenges of western lowland gorilla habituation, it has not been possible to systematically assess leopard predation risks to gorilla groups." So there is mentioned 5-6 dead adult male gorillas, one blackback and rest silverbacks.
@
From An adaptable but threatened big cat: density, diet and prey selection of the Indochinese leopard (Panthera pardus delacouri) in eastern Cambodia: "We studied the Indochinese leopard (Panthera pardus delacouri) in eastern Cambodia, in one of the few potentially remaining viable populations in Southeast Asia. The aims were to determine the: (i) current leopard density in Srepok Wildlife Sanctuary (SWS) and (ii) diet, prey selection and predation impact of leopard in SWS. The density, estimated using spatially explicit capture–recapture models, was 1.0 leopard/100 km2, 72% lower than an estimate from 2009 at the same site, and one of the lowest densities ever reported in Asia. Dietary analysis of 73 DNA confirmed scats showed leopard consumed 13 prey species, although ungulates comprised 87% of the biomass consumed (BC). The overall main prey (42% BC) was banteng (Bos javanicus), making this the only known leopard population whose main prey had adult weight greater than 500 kg. Our results are the first to record leopard consumption of banteng, which was also the main prey of leopard in SWS (42.2% BC), especially for male leopard (61.5% BC). Adult banteng weigh 600–800 kg [53], and consequently the leopard in SWS are the only known leopard population in the world whose main prey had adult weight greater than 500 kg. Prey species with adult weight greater than 500 kg have been found before in leopard diets in Africa and Asia, but they typically comprise trace amounts of less than 2% of the diet [2]. Wild pig (75–200 kg) also was regularly consumed by leopard in SWS, comprising 22.1% BC, indicating leopard consistently predated on ungulates with some the largest adult weights in SWS. Most previous studies showed that wild pig was avoided by leopard, and consequently wild pig typically comprised only minor parts of leopard diet, presumably because wild pig is relatively large and dangerous prey for leopard [2,45,84]. Only leopard in Golestan National Park (GNP), Iran, was shown to consume higher amounts of wild pig than in our study [85]. Ghouddousi et al. [85] concluded high consumption of wild pig by leopard in GNP was not due to a preference for wild pig, but rather due to the high numbers of that prey species on their study site, and the same was likely true in our study (see below)." "For Cambodia’s last remaining Indochinese leopards (Panthera pardus delacouri), extinction could be just around the corner, a new study has found. The only breeding population of this leopard subspecies in Cambodia is believed to occur within a large protected area complex in a part of the country called the Eastern Plains Landscape (EPL). But in just five years, leopard density within one protected area in the EPL has fallen from about three leopards per 100 square kilometers (39 square miles) in 2009 to one leopard per 100 square kilometers in 2014, a team of scientists found. The loss of Cambodia’s Indochinese leopards would deprive the world of a unique member of the leopard family. When the team analyzed leopard droppings collected from the study area, they found that the male leopard’s main prey was the massive, 500-kilogram-plus (1,100-pound-plus) rare wild cattle species called the banteng (Bos javanicus). This finding was unexpected, the researchers say.  *This image is copyright of its original author Although previous research has recorded instances of African leopards preying on large-sized prey like giraffe or eland, these animals comprise a very small proportion of the leopard’s diet, the authors write. Instead, leopards, which typically weigh less than 90 kilograms (198 pounds) prefer to prey on smaller animals weighing about 10 to 40 kilograms (22 to 88 pounds). By contrast, male Indochinese leopards in the eastern Cambodian study site appear to prey predominantly on an animal more than five times its mass, making this the only known leopard population in the world to do so. The leopards there could be targeting banteng because the large herbivore represents about 70 percent of the available ungulate biomass within the study site, Rostro-García said. Moreover, tigers, whose main prey was the banteng, went locally extinct in the landscape a decade ago, allowing leopards to take over as the apex predator. “Tigers kill and displace leopards, and previous research showed that when tigers are present, leopards consume smaller prey to avoid encounters with tigers,” Rostro-García said. “Thus, the leopards in eastern Cambodia likely changed their predatory behavior to include the banteng, the largest herbivore, which may have been previously off limits to them when tigers were present.” But only the male leopards seem to be consuming banteng, the team found. The female leopards preferred muntjac (genus Muntiacus), a small deer. This difference is likely because male leopards can grow up to 50 percent larger than females, the researchers say, suggesting that the banteng might be “too large and dangerous” for female leopards to prey upon, but not for the larger male leopards More here: https://news.mongabay.com/2018/02/cambodias-banteng-eating-leopards-edge-closer-to-extinction-new-study-finds/:
Leopard with Sika Deer kill
 *This image is copyright of its original author  *This image is copyright of its original author https://www.vesti.ru/doc.html?id=3174105&cid=17 https://www.rgo.ru/ru/article/spasyonnyy-v-primore-leopard-leo-131m-pokazal-navyki-ohoty-na-oleney |
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