DOCSLIB.ORG

The Conservation Biology of the Leopard Panthera Pardus in Gabon: Status, Threats and Strategies for Conservation

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
The Conservation Biology of the Leopard Panthera Pardus in Gabon: Status, Threats and Strategies for Conservation The conservation biology of the leopard Panthera pardus in Gabon: Status, threats and strategies for conservation Dissertation zur Erlangung des Doktorgrades der Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftlichen Fakultäten der Georg-August-Universität zu Göttingen vorgelegt von Philipp Henschel aus Lich Göttingen, den 8. Dezember 2008 D 7 Referent: Prof. Dr. Michael Mühlenberg Korreferent: Prof. Dr. Stefan Scheu Tag der mündlichen Prüfung: In loving memory of Marion Andresen Abstract The leopard (Panthera pardus) has the greatest geographic distribution of the wild cats, and is the most abundant large felid in Africa. Tropical rainforests comprise a large part of the leopard’s range in Africa, and the forests of the Congo Basin in particular have long been considered an important stronghold for the species. While known leopard prey ranges in size from arthropods to the largest ungulates, recent studies suggest that leopards preferentially prey upon species within a weight range of 10-40 kg. In the rainforests of the Congo Basin, species within this weight range are also strongly preferred by bushmeat hunters, creating the possibility that leopards and humans are in direct competition for the same prey. However, baseline knowledge of leopard ecology and responses to human disturbance in African rainforests remain largely unknown. In the present study I investigate how leopard populations respond to competition for prey with hunters. My two principal hypotheses are that (1) leopards exhibit a functional response at hunted sites and switch to smaller, less preferred prey where larger prey species have been depleted; (2) leopards exhibit a numerical response at hunted sites and occur at lower population densities where larger prey species have been depleted. To test this, I collected leopard scats and camera trap data in four rainforest sites in central Gabon exposed to varying levels of anthropogenic disturbance. Hunting intensity is generally highest in the vicinity of settlements, and my four study sites were therefore situated at varying distances from settlements. I analysed camera trap data using capture-recapture models to estimate leopard densities, and employed occupancy modelling to investigate the factors affecting leopard distribution. Mean leopard prey weight and leopard population density were positively correlated to distance from settlements. Occupancy modelling revealed that leopard use of an area increased with prey abundance and distance from settlements. The results of this study imply that leopards in the African rainforest exhibit a strong functional and numerical response to competition with hunters for prey, and that leopards are absent in the direct vicinity of settlements where hunting is most intense. I present a simple geographic leopard population model to identify priority areas for leopard conservation in the Congo Basin. i ii Acknowledgements Acknowledgements This study would not have been possible without the help of a multitude of different individuals, whose help along various stages of this study I want to acknowledge here. First of all I would like to thanks my parents, for instilling a profound love for nature in me at a very early stage, and for their distinct interest in my work and their continued support for it, despite the fact that it resulted in long periods of separation from them. Furthermore, I am grateful to Günther Merz for inspiring my interest in working in Gabon, and Pauwel de Wachter for giving me my first job in this extraordinary country. My PhD supervisor, Michael Mühlenberg, became an immediate supporter when I told him about my plans to study leopards in Gabon for my degree, and I greatly appreciate all his help, his amicable supervision and strong interest in my study. In Gabon, Kate Abernethy, my field supervisor, and Lee White were equally enthusiastic to kick-start this study on leopards, and I am deeply grateful for their friendship and their permanent support during my years in Gabon. Stays at the Station d'Etudes des Gorilles et Chimpanzés (SEGC) in Lopé and all the long discussions we had there were extremely inspiring and motivating, and I am very grateful that I had this opportunity. Lee, as the director of the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) Gabon Program, also invited me into the WCS-Gabon family (when it still was one), which guaranteed me the vital logistical support so dearly needed for the functioning of this study. For the permission to work in Gabon and its spectacular national parks I want to express my gratitude to Gabon’s Ministry of Forestry, Water and Fishing, and in particular to Adrien Noungou, Director of Wildlife and Hunting, as well as to the country’s National Parks Board, and in particular its then permanent secretary, René Hilaire Adiahéno. In Ivindo NP, Nigel and Isabelle Orbell welcomed me into their home whenever I came through the park’s HQ, and their friendship and wonderful company made my stay in this fantastic park an even better one. Their door (including the one of their fridge) was always open for me after lengthy stays in one of my field camps, and I likewise want to thank their fantastic kids, Claire and Michael, for accepting me as their “foster-brother”. Nigel organized all my logistics in Ivindo, and I am extremely grateful for the incredible support he managed to provide under the very demanding logistical conditions. Also in Ivindo, Thomas Gilbert joined me as a voluntary research assistant for a couple of months, and I greatly appreciate his enthusiastic and professional help and pleasant company. iii Acknowledgements While working in my remaining study areas near the town of Koulamoutou, Lauren Coad provided me with a base and shared her room in Koulamoutou and her house in the village of Dibouka with me. Her friendship and her moral and logistical support made the often disheartening fieldwork in these heavily hunted study areas less difficult – cheers Loz! I am also grateful to the people of Dibouka, for accepting yet another weird “blanc” into their small village community, and for their warm and welcoming attitude towards me. Thanks also to Lauren’s field assistants, Wilson, Arthur and Jean-Felix, for their help in my first site there, and to Crystel, Anas, Chaud and “mon parent” Socrates for their great company. Budgetary constraints did not allow me to hire any Gabonese research assistants, camp aids or the like, and fieldwork was hence almost invariably carried out alone. But I want to use this space, freed up as I don’t have to thank any field assistants, to express my gratitude to the Gabonese people in general. So many individual Gabonese have helped me, encouraged me, entertained me and shared their thoughts with me during random encounters all across Gabon, and the exceptionally open and welcoming nature of the Gabonese is one of the reasons why I liked working in this country so much. Organizing logistics in this country can be challenging though, and for all the logistical support I’d like to thank the entire WCS Gabon crew and people from SEGC in Lopé, and especially Heaven, Olga (si tu m’entends, grande sœur), Linda, Annie, Olly and Pierre in Libreville, and Kath, Constant, Papa Jules and Malcolm in Lopé. And a special thanks to Bryan, for using his famed organizational talent on more than one occasion to my advantage, to acquire dearly needed items for my work, like a motorbike for the work outside the parks or additional funding to replace stolen camera traps. In Gabon, I would also like to thank my colleagues-turned-friends whom I did not mention earlier, as they might not have played an integral part in the accomplishment of this very study, but whom I want to thank for many great discussions and for being friends. In particular these are, by order of first appearance, Ludo, my Lopé “family”, Collette, Ed, JT and Pélagie, Natu, Miguel, Raul, the boys, Rich, Josh and JG (thanks also for your open door in LBV), Eric, Paul and Trish, Liz and Paul A., and Romain. The fieldwork on leopards was wholly financed by WCS, New York (a special thanks to donors Michael Cline and Bob Spehar for their generous contributions!), and the one person who really made this happen is Justina Ray. She fought the first battles for me in iv Acknowledgements NY to secure funding for my study, in a time where other species of big cats are more critically endangered than the leopard, and for a region where almost all conservation work has traditionally been focused of forest elephants, gorillas and chimps. Against many odds, she managed to convince people that leopards in the Congo Basin rainforest might disappear unnoticed from large tracts of forest due to uncontrolled hunting, as did tigers all across tropical Asia, and that there is a need to invest funding now to gather crucial evidence for this alarming trend. Justina also aided in the design of the study, and I am extremely grateful for all her help and support during the early stages of this study. When Justina moved to her new position with WCS in Canada, Luke Hunter “inherited” me from her, and has been an incredible help since then. Nobody has read more draft versions of my various reports, articles and thesis chapters, and I extremely grateful for all the constructive comments, and for his time and patience. Luke and Panthera, NY, also secured funding for the surveys on lions mentioned in this thesis, and I also want to thank Nicole Williams from Panthera for her help in organizing those surveys and in other issues. I am also grateful to Matt Hayward, for inviting me to present a talk at his symposium on large carnivore reintroduction at the SCB meeting in Port Elizabeth. The chapter 4 of this thesis based on this talk, and I want to thank Matt for all his comments on earlier drafts.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Fitzhenry Yields 2016.Pdf
    Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za ii DECLARATION By submitting this dissertation electronically, I declare that the entirety of the work contained therein is my own, original work, that I am the sole author thereof (save to the extent explicitly otherwise stated), that reproduction and publication thereof by Stellenbosch University will not infringe any third party rights and that I have not previously in its entirety or in part submitted it for obtaining any qualification. Date: March 2016 Copyright © 2016 Stellenbosch University All rights reserved Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za iii GENERAL ABSTRACT Fallow deer (Dama dama), although not native to South Africa, are abundant in the country and could contribute to domestic food security and economic stability. Nonetheless, this wild ungulate remains overlooked as a protein source and no information exists on their production potential and meat quality in South Africa. The aim of this study was thus to determine the carcass characteristics, meat- and offal-yields, and the physical- and chemical-meat quality attributes of wild fallow deer harvested in South Africa. Gender was considered as a main effect when determining carcass characteristics and yields, while both gender and muscle were considered as main effects in the determination of physical and chemical meat quality attributes. Live weights, warm carcass weights and cold carcass weights were higher (p < 0.05) in male fallow deer (47.4 kg, 29.6 kg, 29.2 kg, respectively) compared with females (41.9 kg, 25.2 kg, 24.7 kg, respectively), as well as in pregnant females (47.5 kg, 28.7 kg, 28.2 kg, respectively) compared with non- pregnant females (32.5 kg, 19.7 kg, 19.3 kg, respectively).
    [Show full text]
  • Benefits-Of-Regulated-Hunting-For-Leopard
    CONSERVATION FORCE A FORCE FOR WILDLIFE CONSERVATION BENEFITS OF REGULATED HUNTING FOR LEOPARD (PANTHERA PARDUS) Legal, regulated tourist hunting of African leopard (Panthera pardus) benefits the species through mitigation of the primary threats: habitat loss and fragmentation; increased human populations leading to higher incidence of human-wildlife conflict; poaching and illegal wildlife trade; and prey base declines.i • Habitat: The threat of habitat loss is mitigated in part by fully-protected national parks, which provide over 400,000 km2 of relatively secure habitat for leopard across the six Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries that rely on regulated hunting to sustain their leopard and leopard prey populations.ii The national parks are > 30,000 km2 larger than in 1982, when the leopard was downlisted to “threatened” under the U.S. Endangered Species Act, and leopard are estimated to be present in most of the parks in Mozambique, Namibia, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.iii Regulated hunting revenues help cover the costs of policing these parks, which in most cases do not generate sufficient revenue to cover all enforcement expenses.iv • Habitat: The threat of habitat loss is further mitigated by areas dedicated to regulated hunting. In Mozambique, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, hunting areas include government reserves, communal wildlife management areas, and private ranches. They are substantially larger than the national parks and represent over 700,000 km2.v Leopard are estimated to be present across almost all hunting areas.vi • Habitat: According to the 2016 IUCN Red List assessment of leopard, the species’ total extant range exceeds 8.5 million km2, with between 4.3 million and 6.3 million km2 of range available in Southern and East Africa.
    [Show full text]
  • African Mammals (Tracks)
    L Gi'. M MM S C A POCKET NATURALISru GUIDE HOOFED MAMMALS Dik-Dik Madoqua spp . To 17 in. (43 cm) H Small antelope has a long, flexible snout. .,9-10 in. Common Hippopotamus Klipspringer Hippopotamus amphibius Oreatragus oreotroqus To 5 ft. (1.5 m) H To 2 ft. (60 cm) H Has dark 'tear stains' at the corner of the eyes. Downward-pointing hooves give the impression it walks on 'tiptoe'. Found in rocky habitats. White Black Steenbok Raphieerus eampestris 1 in. White Rhinoceros To 2 ft. (60 cm) H Large ears are striped inside. Ceratotherium simum Muzzle has a dark stripe. To 6 ft. (l.B m) H 9-10 in. t Has a square upper lip. The similar black rhinoceros has a , pointed, prehensile upper lip. t . eWhite '~'rBlack . Common Duiker " . Sylvieapra grimmia ". To 28 in. (70 cm) t1 t Has a prominent black 1 in. 'a: stripe on its snout. Inhabits woodlands Hyena lion and shrubby areas. t Forefoot , e+ Oribi 24-28 in. Ourebia ourebi African Elephant To 2 ft. (60 em) H Note short tail and black 1.5 in. Loxodonto africana Hind foot spot below ears. Inhabits To 14 ft. (4.2 m) H grassland savannas. Hind print is oval-shaped. t This guide provides simplified field reference to familiar animal tracks. It is important to note that tracks change depending on their age, the surface Hippopotamus they are made on, and the animal's gait (e.g., toes are often splayed when Springbok running). Track illustrations are ordered by size in each section and are not Antidorcas marsupialis To 30 in.
    [Show full text]
  • Big Cats in Africa Factsheet
    INFORMATION BRIEF BIG CATS IN AFRICA AFRICAN LION (PANTHERA LEO) Famously known as the king of the jungle, the African lion is the second largest living species of the big cats, after the tiger. African lions are found mostly in savannah grasslands across many parts of sub-Saharan Africa but the “Babary lion” used to exist in the North of Africa including Tunisia, Morocco and Algeria, while the “Cape lion” existed in South Africa. Some lions have however been known to live in forests in Congo, Gabon or Ethiopia. Historically, lions used to live in the Mediterranean and the Middle East as well as in other parts of Asia such as India. While there are still some Asian Lions left in India, the African Lion is probably the largest remaining sub species of Lions in the world. They live in large groups called “prides”, usually made up of up to 15 lions. These prides consist of one or two males, and the rest females. The females are known for hunting for prey ranging from wildebeest, giraffe, impala, zebra, buffalo, rhinos, hippos, among others. The males are unique in appearance with the conspicuous mane around their necks. The mane is used for protection and intimidation during fights. Lions mate all year round, and the female gives birth to three or four cubs at a time, after a gestation period of close to 4 months (110 days). Lions are mainly threatened by hunting and persecution by humans. They are considered a threat to livestock, so ranchers usually shoot them or poison carcasses to keep them away from their livestock.
    [Show full text]
  • Implications for the Conservation of Key Species in the Udzungwa Mountains, Tanzania
    Genetic Patterns in Forest Antelope Populations: Implications for the Conservation of Key Species in the Udzungwa Mountains, Tanzania Submitted by Andrew Edward Bowkett, to the University of Exeter as a thesis for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Biological Sciences In September 2012 This thesis is available for Library use on the understanding that it is copyright material and that no quotation from the thesis may be published without proper acknowledgement. I certify that all material in this thesis which is not my own work has been identified and that no material has previously been submitted and approved for the award of a degree by this or any other University. Signature: ………………………………………………………….. ABSTRACT The field of conservation genetics, in combination with non-invasive sampling, provides a powerful set of tools for investigating the conservation status and natural history of rare species that are otherwise difficult to study. A systematic literature review demonstrated that this is certainly the case for many forest- associated antelope species, which are poorly studied and yet constitute some of the most heavily hunted wildlife in Africa. The aim of the present study was to use non-invasive sampling to investigate genetic patterns in forest antelope populations in the high-biodiversity Udzungwa Mountains, Tanzania, within the context of the conservation of these species and the wider ecosystem. Genetic information was derived from faecal samples collected across the Udzungwa landscape and assigned to five antelope species (N = 618, collected 2006-09). Faecal pellet length was measured for a subset of samples but statistical assignment to species by this method proved unreliable.
    [Show full text]
  • The Role of Small Private Game Reserves in Leopard Panthera Pardus and Other Carnivore Conservation in South Africa
    The role of small private game reserves in leopard Panthera pardus and other carnivore conservation in South Africa Tara J. Pirie Thesis submitted in accordance with the requirements of The University of Reading for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy School of Biological Sciences November 2016 Acknowledgements I would first like to thank my supervisors Professor Mark Fellowes and Dr Becky Thomas, without whom this thesis would not have been possible. I am sincerely grateful for their continued belief in the research and my ability and have appreciated all their guidance and support. I especially would like to thank Mark for accepting this project. I would like to acknowledge Will & Carol Fox, Alan, Lynsey & Ronnie Watson who invited me to join Ingwe Leopard Research and then aided and encouraged me to utilize the data for the PhD thesis. I would like to thank Andrew Harland for all his help and support for the research and bringing it to the attention of the University. I am very grateful to the directors of the Protecting African Wildlife Conservation Trust (PAWct) and On Track Safaris for their financial support and to the landowners and participants in the research for their acceptance of the research and assistance. I would also like to thank all the Ingwe Camera Club members; without their generosity this research would not have been possible to conduct and all the Ingwe Leopard Research volunteers and staff of Thaba Tholo Wilderness Reserve who helped to collect data and sort through countless images. To Becky Freeman, Joy Berry-Baker
    [Show full text]
  • Panthera Pardus) Range Countries
    Profiles for Leopard (Panthera pardus) Range Countries Supplemental Document 1 to Jacobson et al. 2016 Profiles for Leopard Range Countries TABLE OF CONTENTS African Leopard (Panthera pardus pardus)...................................................... 4 North Africa .................................................................................................. 5 West Africa ................................................................................................... 6 Central Africa ............................................................................................. 15 East Africa .................................................................................................. 20 Southern Africa ........................................................................................... 26 Arabian Leopard (P. p. nimr) ......................................................................... 36 Persian Leopard (P. p. saxicolor) ................................................................... 42 Indian Leopard (P. p. fusca) ........................................................................... 53 Sri Lankan Leopard (P. p. kotiya) ................................................................... 58 Indochinese Leopard (P. p. delacouri) .......................................................... 60 North Chinese Leopard (P. p. japonensis) ..................................................... 65 Amur Leopard (P. p. orientalis) ..................................................................... 67 Javan Leopard
    [Show full text]
  • Mammal Species Richness at a Catena and Nearby Waterholes During a Drought, Kruger National Park, South Africa
    diversity Article Mammal Species Richness at a Catena and Nearby Waterholes during a Drought, Kruger National Park, South Africa Beanélri B. Janecke Animal, Wildlife & Grassland Sciences, University of the Free State, 205 Nelson Mandela Road, Park West, Bloemfontein 9301, South Africa; [email protected]; Tel.: +27-51-401-9030 Abstract: Catenas are undulating hillslopes on a granite geology characterised by different soil types that create an environmental gradient from crest to bottom. The main aim was to determine mammal species (>mongoose) present on one catenal slope and its waterholes and group them by feeding guild and body size. Species richness was highest at waterholes (21 species), followed by midslope (19) and sodic patch (16) on the catena. Small differences observed in species presence between zones and waterholes and between survey periods were not significant (p = 0.5267 and p = 0.9139). In total, 33 species were observed with camera traps: 18 herbivore species, 10 carnivores, two insectivores and three omnivores. Eight small mammal species, two dwarf antelopes, 11 medium, six large and six mega-sized mammals were observed. Some species might not have been recorded because of drought, seasonal movement or because they travelled outside the view of cameras. Mammal presence is determined by food availability and accessibility, space, competition, distance to water, habitat preferences, predators, body size, social behaviour, bound to territories, etc. The variety in body size and feeding guilds possibly indicates a functioning catenal ecosystem. This knowledge can be beneficial in monitoring and conservation of species in the park. Keywords: catena ecosystem; ephemeral mud wallows; habitat use; mammal variety; Skukuza area; Citation: Janecke, B.B.
    [Show full text]
  • Common Duiker
    Sylvicapra grimmia – Common Duiker Northern Cape provinces; Skinner & Chimimba 2005), and is substantially greyer in colour compared to the other subspecies, hence the alternate name, Grey Duiker in the Cape (Wilson 2013). Sylvicapra g. caffa is found further north of S. g. grimmia within the KwaZulu-Natal, North West, Gauteng, Mpumalanga and Limpopo provinces (Skinner & Chimimba 2005), extending into southern Mozambique and eastern Zimbabwe (Wilson 2013). The sandy-coloured S. g. steinhardti ranges throughout Namibia into Angola, Botswana and marginally into the Northern Cape Province to Port Nolloth (Wilson 2013). While distribution is continuous, there are many cases of intergradation but geographical boundaries between Arno Meintjies forms have not been delineated accurately (IUCN SSC Antelope Specialist Group 2016). Hence only the species is assessed here. Regional Red List status (2016) Least Concern National Red List status (2004) Least Concern Assessment Rationale Reasons for change No change Listed as Least Concern as the species is widespread and Global Red List status (2016) Least Concern abundant within the assessment region, with a global total population size in the millions. Although bushmeat TOPS listing (NEMBA) None hunting may cause localised declines, the Common CITES listing None Duiker is resilient and should continue to exist in large numbers over its range. This species is also able to exist Endemic No in agricultural landscapes, providing that the natural peripheral vegetation cover remains intact. It is a key prey The Common Duiker is highly adaptable, elusive species and subpopulations should be sustained by and resilient; they vary from other duiker species improving habitat condition and installing permeable in their presence in savannah habitats rather than fences on land outside protected areas as part of holistic forests, and their more slender body shape management strategies to reduce potential livestock/ (Bowland 1997).
    [Show full text]
  • AFRICA TRAIL: Breaking Ground
    July | August 2021 AFRICA TRAIL: Breaking Ground The Making of a ZOO PROGRAM ANSWERING THE CALL features 4 | Africa Trail: Breaking Ground 8 | Answering the Call Zoo-Lympics Art on the Wild Side 10 | Goin’ for the Gold Photo by Paul Gill Art on the Wild Side September 10, 2021 – January 31, 2022 16 Conservation by the Numbers During regular Zoo hours | Nutella’s Breakfast with the Animals How to Make a World-Class Zoo September 25 & 26 | 8 a.m. & 10 a.m. (each day) 26 | Education Program HOURS get closer June 1 – August 31, 2021 7 a.m. – 1 p.m. (Daily) | 6 a.m. (Member Early Entry) Animal Awareness 22 Plan Your July 4, 11, 18, 25 14 | Days | Adventure Cruise the Zoo (closed to foot traffic) Please note: Encounters, tours and experiences are not open until general public hours. Also, we do our What’s in Store Wild Child best to have the majority of our animals in their habitats 20 | 28 | by opening time, but this cannot be guaranteed. ARIZONA CENTER FOR NATURE CONSERVATION BOARD OF TRUSTEES Stephen Fisher | Chair Phil Petersen | Past Board Chair Heidi Berger | Vice Chair, Finance and Treasurer Yvonne A. Betts | Vice Chair, Board Development Kris Yamano | Vice Chair, Financial Development John Hoopes | Vice Chair, Outcomes Larry Fink | Secretary Dear Zoo Friends, Cynthia Aguilar Michael Johnson Summer in the Valley of the Sun is here again and we’re doing our part Brian Baehr Craig Krumwiede to make your Zoo visit as comfortable as possible. Our summer hours are 7 a.m.
    [Show full text]
  • Chapter 15 the Mammals of Angola
    Chapter 15 The Mammals of Angola Pedro Beja, Pedro Vaz Pinto, Luís Veríssimo, Elena Bersacola, Ezequiel Fabiano, Jorge M. Palmeirim, Ara Monadjem, Pedro Monterroso, Magdalena S. Svensson, and Peter John Taylor Abstract Scientific investigations on the mammals of Angola started over 150 years ago, but information remains scarce and scattered, with only one recent published account. Here we provide a synthesis of the mammals of Angola based on a thorough survey of primary and grey literature, as well as recent unpublished records. We present a short history of mammal research, and provide brief information on each species known to occur in the country. Particular attention is given to endemic and near endemic species. We also provide a zoogeographic outline and information on the conservation of Angolan mammals. We found confirmed records for 291 native species, most of which from the orders Rodentia (85), Chiroptera (73), Carnivora (39), and Cetartiodactyla (33). There is a large number of endemic and near endemic species, most of which are rodents or bats. The large diversity of species is favoured by the wide P. Beja (*) CIBIO-InBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, Vairão, Portugal CEABN-InBio, Centro de Ecologia Aplicada “Professor Baeta Neves”, Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal e-mail: [email protected] P. Vaz Pinto Fundação Kissama, Luanda, Angola CIBIO-InBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, Campus de Vairão, Vairão, Portugal e-mail: [email protected] L. Veríssimo Fundação Kissama, Luanda, Angola e-mail: [email protected] E.
    [Show full text]
  • The Endangerment and Conservation of Cheetahs (Acinonyx Jubatus), Leopards (Panthera Pardus), Lions (Panthera Leo), and Tigers (Panthera Tigris) in Africa and Asia
    The endangerment and conservation of cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus), leopards (Panthera pardus), lions (Panthera leo), and tigers (Panthera tigris) in Africa and Asia Britney Johnston * B.S. Candidate, Department of Biological Sciences, California State University Stanislaus, 1 University Circle, Turlock, CA 95382 Received 17 April, 2018; accepted 15 May 2018 Abstract Increasing habitat depletion, habitat degradation, and overhunting in Africa and Asia have resulted in the designation of the four largest species of felid (cheetah, leopard, lion, tiger) as vulnerable or endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. Scientists interested in understanding and potentially slowing the disappearance of these species need access to causal factors, the past and current range of each species, the life history, and importance of conservation. This article presents one such resource with all of this information compiled in a place that Is easy for people to get to. The primary target of this article is educators but will be useful to anyone interested in these species, their current state, and their future peril. Keywords: cheetah, leopard, lion, tiger, endangered species, conservation, Old World, big cats, habitat Introduction world with some species programs. These steps are used to analyze whether or not a species is in danger and are Conservationism is a common term heard in many then used to halt the decline and reverse it. The first is settings in the modern world, implying that an effort to population decline; this is the obvious decline in a conserve species needs to be made and enforced. population that incites a need for a change to be made.
    [Show full text]