Leopard

Measurement of body dimensions of carnivores usually requires the chemical immobilization of subjects. This process can be dangerous, costly and potentially harmful to the target individuals. Development of an alternative, inexpensive, and non-invasive method therefore warrants attention. The objective of this study was to test whether it is possible to obtain accurate measurements of body dimensions of leopards from camera trap photographs. A total of 10 leopards (Panthera pardus) were captured and collared at Malilangwe Wildlife Reserve, Zimbabwe from May 7 to June 20, 2017 and four body measurements namely shoulder height, head-to-tail, body, and tail length were recorded. The same measurements were taken from 101 scaled photographs of the leopards recorded during a baited-camera trapping (BCT) survey conducted from July 1 to October 22, 2017 and differences from the actual measurements calculated. Generalized Linear Mixed Effects Models were used to determine the effect of type of body measurement, photographic scale, posture, and sex on the accuracy of the photograph-based measurements. Type of body measurement and posture had a significant influence on accuracy. Least squares means of absolute differences between actual and photographic measurements showed that body length in the level back-straight forelimb-parallel tail posture was measured most accurately from photographs (2.0 cm, 95% CI [1.5-2.7 cm]), while head-to-tail dimensions in the arched back-bent forelimb-parallel tail posture were least accurate (8.3 cm, 95% CI [6.1-11.2 cm]). Using the BCT design, we conclude that it is possible to collect accurate morphometric data of leopards from camera trap photographs. Repeat measurements over time can provide researchers with vital body size and growth rate information which may help improve the monitoring and management of species of conservation concern, such as leopards.

The leopard Panthera pardus is in range-wide decline, and many populations are highly threatened. Prey depletion is a major cause of global carnivore declines, but the response of leopard survival and density to this threat is unclear: by reducing the density of a dominant competitor (the lion Panthera leo) prey depletion could create both costs and benefits for subordinate competitors. We used capture–recapture models fitted to data from a 7-year camera-trap study in Kafue National Park, Zambia, to obtain baseline estimates of leopard population density and sex-specific apparent survival rates. Kafue is affected by prey depletion, and densities of large herbivores preferred by lions have declined more than the densities of smaller herbivores preferred by leopards. Lion density is consequently low. Estimates of leopard density were comparable to ecosystems with more intensive protection and favourable prey densities. However, our study site is located in an area with good ecological...

The Sunda clouded leopard Neofelis diardi is a medium sized (15–25 kg) cat, found only on the Sundaic islands of Borneo and Sumatra. In recent years intensive camera-trapping surveys in Borneo have begun to shed light on the habitat associations and basic ecology of this elusive wild cat, but its distribution on an island-wide scale remains very poorly known. Such information is an essential element in the assessment of the Sunda clouded leopard’s conservation status and in the development of conservation action. In this paper we use MaxEnt niche distribution modelling to make predictions regarding the current distribution of this cat on Borneo. We collected a total of 259 occurrence records for the Sunda clouded leopard, stemming from all Bornean regions apart from Brunei and South Kalimantan, of which 48 (Balanced Model) or 94 (Spatial Filtering Model) were used in our modelling. Our habitat suitability model suggests that this species has a widespread distribution over a large co...

Human-wildlife conflict is a worldwide and increasingly important problem. In the past most “solutions” to this problem have been either from an agricultural perspective or from a conservation perspective. As the goals of these two perspectives differ, there has been frustratingly little progress in preventing human-wildlife conflict. The “Farming with Predators” project aimed to cross this divide by designing a Decision Support System (DSS) for farmers and land managers aimed at mitigating human-wildlife conflict by combining ecological and agricultural information in a single agroecological model. In Namibia, four predator species are widely considered to be responsible for most livestock losses, namely: leopards (Panthera pardus), cheetahs (Acinonyx
jubatus), caracals (Caracal caracal ) and black-backed jackals (Canis mesomelas). Two of these predator species (A. jubatus and P. pardus) are classified as vulnerable in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of threatened species. Since about 90% of Namibia’s cheetahs are found on farmlands, finding solutions to conflict with farmers is a priority, for both cheetah survival and farming in Namibia. Some relevant aspects of the predators’ ecology are discussed using the literature and field data. The proposed DSS makes use of a cost-benefit analysis of current anti-predation measures used by  Namibian farmers (using survey data) as well as ecological data on habitat preferences and the spatial behaviour of the predators, predator prey preferences and predator ecological interactions by using a Bayesian Network approach (Probabilistic Graphical Model). Important gaps in our knowledge that require further research in order to address farmer-predator conflict are highlighted in the process. If implemented and as farmers start using the program, the model can be updated with new data in order to enable greater accuracy. Some practical applications of agroecological principles in real-world farmer-predator conflict are also discussed.

Spider diversity is studied to explore the spider fauna of Mumbra. This is the attempt made for preparing a systematic list of species. Extensive search revealed 28 species belonging to ten families were recorded in Mumbra-Maharashtra. This represents 16.66 % of the total families recorded in India. Araneidae were the dominant family in this biome, which was composed of Lycosidae as next dominant family, followed by Tetragnathidae , Pholcidae Oxyopidae , Scytodidae, Theridiidae Salticidae and Philodromidae and Eutichuridae was the order of dominance of the characteristic families, of this region. Species abundance are related to grassland with waterlogged areas and mountain site with low inhabitants. Simpson diversity index showed maximum diversity with 20 species is 0.927 for spider in grassland habitat and 0.218 in mountain site. Shannon's diversity with 20 species is 2.809 in grassland and 1.743 for mountain habitat

The Zanzibar leopard (Panthera pardus adersi) is (was) a little-known subspecies endemic to Unguja island. Rapid population growth and the expansion of farming in the twentieth century destroyed leopard habitat and decimated their natural prey, bringing them into increasing conflict with people. Villagers explained the growing number of attacks on their children and livestock by supposing that the leopards responsible for them were owned by witches and sent by them to do harm. Following the Zanzibar Revolution in 1964, localised efforts to act on this theory culminated in an island-wide leopard eradication and witch-finding campaign, supported by the government. By the 1990s state-subsidised hunting had brought the leopard to the brink of extinction, and most zoologists now presume it to be extinct. However, many islanders believe that leopard keepers are still active in rural Unguja and sightings of leopards continue to be reported. Beguiled by such narratives, visiting researchers and local conservationists have continued to pursue these elusive felids. In this paper we describe and analyse a series of unsuccessful “kept leopard chases”, including abortive calls by government officials for the capture and display of domesticated leopards. These quixotic efforts show no signs of abating, and the underlying conflicts of knowledge and practice remain unresolved, posing a challenge to the theory and practice of conservation not only in Zanzibar but also further afield.

1. Several conservation initiatives are aiming to improve the status of the rapidly dwindling populations of tiger Panthera tigris. However, possible cascading effects of intra-guild competition on other sympatric carnivores are rarely considered while planning such recovery programmes.

2. In this study, we examine how, following the reduction of anthropogenic pressures by relocation of pastoralists, a recovering tiger population affects leopards Panthera pardus in the Chilla Range of Rajaji National Park (RNP), India. By combining data gathered over 4 years (2004–2005 to 2007–2008) on prey availability, food habits and population density of the two predators, we investigate some of the mechanisms of niche partitioning.

3. Based on existing information, we predicted that there would be high dietary overlap between the two predators. Over time, optimal habitats would be dominated by tigers forcing leopards to the periphery of the protected area where they would subsist on small prey and domestic livestock. Consequently, leopards would occur at a lower density where sympatric with tigers.

4. Our results confirmed that annual dietary overlap (0·89, 0·82, 0·78, 0·77) between the two predators was high during the study. As expected, we observed a shift in the diet of leopards towards a significantly higher intake of domestic prey (∼6·8% to ∼31·8%) and small prey (∼9% to ∼36%). Mean leopard density declined from 9·76 animals per 100 km2 in 2004–2005 to 2·07 per 100 km2 in 2007–2008, while the mean density of tigers increased from 3·31 per 100 km2 to 5·81 per 100 km2 over the same period.

5. Synthesis and applications. Although based on small sample sizes, our study revealed that over the 4 years following the relocation of pastoralists out of RNP, the tiger population recovered but leopard densities declined sharply. The concurrent shift in leopard diet indicated heightened livestock depredation from the surrounding area. Therefore, it is important that conservation initiatives targeting the recovery of tigers should be preceded by careful examination of interspecific interactions with sympatric carnivores. Comprehensive human–carnivore conflict management measures like monitoring the extent of livestock depredation, improving livestock management and providing adequate compensation and/or insurance schemes are critical for successfully implementing such conservation efforts.

Estimating species population density directly contributes to the conservation of species. As keystone species, carnivores are important to conserve; however, estimating density of wide-ranging, elusive and solitary carnivores has proven difficult. The leopard (Panthera pardus) is the last large free-roaming top carnivore in South Africa, and no formal density study had been conducted across the Eastern and Western Cape. We estimated leopard density and abundance using GPS data from 21 collared leopards and a spatially explicit capture-mark-recapture (SECR) method with camera trap survey data. Four regional sites were surveyed using 173 camera trap locations over 15,390 camera trap days, capturing 740 leopard images of which 77 individuals were identified. SECR averaged 0.95 leopards/100 km 2 and the two GPS methods averaged 1 and 1.11 leopards/100 km 2. Based on predicted available leopard habitat for the region, leopard abundance was estimated between 467 (AE112.8) and 553 (AE168.8) in the Western Cape and between 365 (AE93.2) and 430 (AE139.9) in the Eastern Cape. Discrepancies in density estimates can be complex stemming from biological behaviour, anthropogenic factors and prey density. However , our estimates appear to show relatively little variation, suggesting that SECR methods and GPS data capture the population density estimates of the species well. R esum e L'estimation de la densit e de population des esp eces contribue directement a leur conservation. Esp eces cl es, il est important de pr eserver les carnivores et, pourtant, il a souvent et e difficile d'estimer la densit e de carnivores tr es dispers es, discrets et solitaires. Le l eopard Panthera pardus est le dernier grand carnivore libre d'Afrique du Sud, et aucune etude formelle de densit e n'a et e r ealis ee dans le Cap oriental et occidental. Nous avons estim e la densit e et l'abondance de l eopards gr^ ace aux donn ees GPS collect ees sur 21 l eopards equip es de colliers et une m ethode de capture -marquage-recapture spatialement explicite (CMRSE) avec des donn ees venant de pi eges photographiques. Quatre sites r egionaux ont et e suivis, avec 173 empla-cements de pi eges et pendant 15 390 jours/pi eges photos. Nous avons obtenu 740 photos de l eopards qui nous ont permis d'identifier 77 individus. La CMRSE a Carolyn Devens and Thulani Tshabalala are equal lead authorship.

In a number of African countries, the trophy hunting of large felids is an important revenue generator for landholders, governments and in some cases communities. The hunting of large felids is especially profitable but they are sensitive to harvest, as the killing of prime-aged, dominant males can lead to infanticide and lowered reproductive success. In an attempt to limit the negative impacts of trophy hunting on large felids, the scientific community has proposed a number of interventions, including age restrictions on the animals that may be hunted. Such interventions are theoretically complementary to trophy hunting, as hunters typically seek large trophies, and older animals are normally larger than younger ones in large felids. If trophy size results in an increase in trophy price, then interventions that improve average trophy size could confer elevated earnings. This is particularly true if such interventions increased the number of failed hunts such that the same tag can be sold more than once. However, if trophy size is not one of the most important factors determining the desirability of a hunt (which we judge by the price paid for a trophy hunt package), it may be more difficult to implement such schemes. It is therefore important to evaluate potential determinants of trophy hunt package price; and we examine that here for leopards (Panthera pardus) in Africa, at both the country and outfitter level. We show that Tanzania and Botswana have the most expensive package prices while South Africa has the cheapest packages. At the country level, we found no statistical relationships between package price and leopard trophy size (either through advertised website or Safari Club International (SCI) leopard trophy size), country GDP, relative hunt success, or quota size. Contrastingly, the number of charismatic species offered within a package and an index of outfitter reputation (as measured by total SCI trophy records) were positively associated with package price. Interestingly, SCI leopard trophy size was inversely correlated with package price. Our results suggest that hunters do not value leopard trophy size above other factors, which could hinder the implementation of more sustainable, age-based leopard hunting regulations.

Der ausgestopfte Arabische Leopard (Panthera pardus nimr Hemprich und Ehrenberg, 1833) im Naturhistorisches Museum in Muscat, Sultanat Oman.

The taxidermied Arabian Leopard (Panthera pardus nimr Hemprich and Ehrenberg, 1833) at the Natural History Museum in Muscat, Sultanate of Oman.

Von: Sharif Prof. Dr. Sc. Norman Ali Bassam Ali Taher Mohammad Ahmad Ahmad Mostafa Abdallah Mohammad Khalaf-Prinz Sakerfalke von Jaffa.

Reference: Khalaf-Sakerfalke von Jaffa, Prof. Dr. Sc. Norman Ali Bassam Ali Taher Mohammad Ahmad Mostafa (July 2023). Der ausgestopfte Arabische Leopard (Panthera pardus nimr Hemprich und Ehrenberg, 1833) im Naturhistorisches Museum in Muscat, Sultanat Oman / The taxidermied Arabian Leopard (Panthera pardus nimr Hemprich and Ehrenberg, 1833) at the Natural History Museum in Muscat, Sultanate of Oman. Gazelle: The Palestinian Biological Bulletin (ISSN 0178-6288). Volume 41, Number 223, July 2023, pp. 1-51. Published by Prof. Dr. Norman Ali Khalaf Department for Environmental Research and Media, Palestine National Research Center, University of Palestine, Gaza, State of Palestine. http://leopard-panthera-pardus.webs.com/arabischerleopard.htm

The Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris tigris) and the snow leopard (Panthera uncia) are highly endangered apex predators. These charismatic animals are categorized as flagship and umbrella species, and hence are the focus of many conservation programs. Protecting tiger and snow leopard also safeguards the entire habitat in which they reside, including other non-focal sympatric carnivores. Our non-invasive sampling based genetic studies on these flagship species have detected other non-focal carnivore species that co-share the same habitat. In our non-invasive genetic study of the tiger in the Chitwan National Park (2011-2013), of all collected scat samples (n=420), only 62% (n=262) were of tiger. The remaining non- tiger samples (n=158) included common leopard (Panthera Pardus fusca, n=74), leopard cat (Prionailurus bengalensis, n=10), fox (Vulpes ssp., n=5) and jungle cat (Felis catus, n=1). Of 48 putative snow leopard scat samples collected from the Mustang region (2010-2011), only 65% (n= 31) were of snow leopard. We identified red fox (Vulpes vulpes, n=7), leopard cat (Prionailurus bengalensis, n=2), wolf (Canis lupus, n=1), common leopard (Panthera Pardus fusca, n=1) and lynx (Lynx lynx, n=1) from the remaining samples using target DNA amplification and sequencing. This study, which was inte-grated in our overall genetic studies of tiger and snow leopard, has significantly increased our under-standing of the carnivore community in the Terai and Himalaya region of Nepal. We were also able to document lynx at the highest elevation (3935 m) and detect the presence of an illusive himalayan wolf and leopard cat for the first time in the snow leopard habitat of Nepal.

A newsletter in Marathi with news, information and analysis on wildlife and conservation in the state of Maharashtra, India. Published by Kalpavriksh with support from the Duleep Matthai Nature Conservation Trust. Editor: Reshma Jathar; Associate Editor: Pankaj Sekhsaria

Small to large carnivorous mammals in the tropical belt face extinction at an unprecedented rate. The vanishing of sympatric wild cats appears to be due to habitat fragmentation, human encroachment & poaching. The focus of this study is on ecological and distributional parameters that influence the wild cat communities in tropical South Asia. The distributional data for five sympatric cats is analyzed with the aim of understanding the species-habitat association under a conceptually unified binary-matrix framework. The use of cluster analysis techniques in this ecological study have helped to reveal the natural groupings among felid guilds and their ecological resource partitioning mechanism in shared habitats.

A key aspect of the social construction of animals is how they are made to fit into categories such as wild versus domesticated, livestock versus pet, game versus vermin and edible versus non-edible. In this paper, we consider the case of the leopard on the island of Unguja, in the Zanzibar archipelago, Tanzania. It is thought that witches secretly feed, breed and deploy leopards for purposes that include terrorizing other people and supplying food to their owners. Perceived by the general population as a dangerous witches' familiar, and by the government sometimes as vermin, at others as meriting official protection, the Zanzibar leopard is a transgressive, "out-of-place" animal that defies tidy classification. This illustrates how, once they are incorporated into human social worlds, animals are assigned to categories that shape how they are understood and acted upon. "Domestication" in this broader sense has consequences for their survival. In Zanzibar, the association of leopards with witchcraft has contributed to their probable extirpation through grassroots and government extermination efforts. Recently-but in all likelihood too late for the leopard-there are indications that Zanzibaris have begun to see a potential benefit in them.

In species in which juvenile survival depends strongly on male tenure, excessive trophy hunting can artificially elevate male turnover and increase infanticide, potentially to unsustainable levels. Simulation models show that the likelihood of safe harvests can be improved by restricting offtakes to males old enough to have reared their first cohort of offspring to independence; in the case of African leopards, males were $7 years old. Here, we explore the applicability of an age-based approach for regulating trophy hunting of leopards. We conducted a structured survey comprising photographs of known-age leopards to assess the ability of wildlife practitioners to sex and age leopards. We also evaluated the utility of four phenotypic traits for use by trophy hunters to age male leopards in the field. Our logistic regression models showed that male leopard age affected the likelihood of survey respondents identifying the correct sex; notably, males ,2 years were typically misidentified as females, while mature males ($4 years) were sexed correctly. Mature male leopards were also more likely to be aged correctly, as were portrait photographs. Aging proficiency was also influenced by the profession of respondents, with hunters recording the lowest scores. A discriminant model including dewlap size, the condition of the ears, and the extent of facial scarring accurately discriminated among male leopard age classes. Model classification rates were considerably higher than the respective scores attained by survey respondents, implying that the aging ability of hunters could theoretically improve with appropriate training. Dewlap size was a particularly reliable indicator of males $7 years and a review of online trophy galleries suggested its wider utility as an aging criterion. Our study demonstrated that an age-based hunting approach is practically applicable for leopards. However, implementation would require major reform within the regulatory framework and the hunting industry.

Large scale spatial patterns of livestock predation risk from multiple co-predators are fundamental to applied conservation planning. Here, we examined important ecological, social, and landscape attributes explaining spatial patterns of human-carnivore interactions. We used a systematic grid-based framework, across an area of 14,200 km2 of sixteen Forest Divisions at the human-wildlife interface encompassing Protected Areas, Reserved Forest and Fringe Areas at the human-wildlife interface in the Eastern and Western Ghats, India. The data was collected on livestock depredation incidents from the tiger (Panthera tigris), leopard (Panthera pardus), and dhole (Cuon alpinus) for the past five years, through semi-structured interviews (n = 1460) of local communities. We examined socio-ecological (i.e. livestock abundance and forest dependency) and landscape attributes (i.e. forest cover, climates and topographic) influencing the depredation events from each carnivore species. We found that livestock predation risk by the tiger, leopard and dhole was driven by the size of livestock species, the dependency of local people on the forest, topography, proximity to water body and the forest boundary, precipitation, and forest cover. Risk of predation from leopard and dhole exhibited high spatial overlap, and predation by leopards was higher than dhole and tiger. Livestock predation by leopard and dhole was frequent in open areas of Reserved Forest and buffer zones, while that from tiger occurred in densely forested core regions of Protected Areas (PAs). Our predictive risk maps (ca. 22,525 km2) showed species-specific predation patterns, reflected ecological differences among large carnivores with regards to their habitat and spatial partitioning for domestic prey. Our predictive predation risk map and factors associated with livestock predations provides powerful visual guidance and tools for PA managers in developing multi-species conflict mitigation strategies. We recommend diversifying local economic livelihoods and benefit-sharing options for local communities to minimize their forest dependency.

Este trabajo de investigación en conjunto con investigadores de argelia, da registros antiguos y recientes acerca del leopardo en los macizos de Ahaggar,Tassili n´Ajjer y alrededores. muchas dan a esta posible subespecie de leopardo extinta ya que es considerada la población de leopardos mas aislada de todas.

Although the leopard (Panthera pardus) is one of the more successful large carnivores, challenges for leopard conservation emulate those of other more endangered carnivores, and they are a model species for investigating issues affecting carnivore persistence worldwide. This thesis represents a six-year study of leopard on the Karongwe Game Reserve, South Africa, which provided a unique opportunity to observe various aspects of behavioural ecology in the absence of prey availability constraints or human persecution. Small, enclosed reserves such as Karongwe make up 16.8% of the total land in South Africa and undertaking sound ecological research in these areas provides valuable data for evidence-based conservation and management. The leopard is notoriously shy and difficult to study and I used free darting and habituation to enhance visual observation, in order to understand the ecological processes influencing leopard reproductive success and survival. My results show that leopard in the high prey area studied, consume almost double the number of ungulates as leopard in similar habitats elsewhere. This generalist predator improved its hunting success by selecting vulnerable prey and selectively hunted in habitats of intermediate density, where preferred prey were most abundant. Ample nutrition played a key role in reproductive health and reduced the duration of reproductive parameters below that previously recorded in the literature. Any additional nutritional input could not translate into increased population growth as females were already reproducing optimally. Female territorial size and habitat selection were determined by the availability of riparian habitat and resources of their preferred prey. Territoriality however was governed by prey biomass. Neighbouring leopards were territorial, sharing little space (average 11% territorial overlap) and hunting five times more often in the core than in the rest of their territory. During periods of prey richness, females became more territorial and there was a positive “bottom up” effect through subadult recruitment. Density-dependent intraspecific and interspecific competition for limited space regulated the population around carrying capacity, and constrained population growth. These results provide fundamental baseline data about leopard in the absence of human disturbance, or prey constraints. They highlight that, although the influence of optimal nutrition is important in the reproductive health and territoriality of leopard, habitat quality and quantity are ultimately what govern leopard carrying capacity and population size. I provide baseline reproductive, carrying capacity and territorial data for agencies developing policy, and for setting priorities in conservation and management, as well as habitat protection and restoration, for not only this species but other threatened species as well.

The speakers and the planning of the symposium will be announced soon:
                  https://felins.hypotheses.org/      Mailing list inscription: https://forms.gle/prfPbdUhZSCe9gsU7        Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/felinsegypte/

Measurement of body dimensions of carnivores usually requires the chemical immobilization of subjects. This process can be dangerous, costly and potentially harmful to the target individuals. Development of an alternative, inexpensive, and non-invasive method therefore warrants attention. The objective of this study was to test whether it is possible to obtain accurate measurements of body dimensions of leopards from camera trap photographs. A total of 10 leopards (Panthera pardus) were captured and collared at Malilangwe Wildlife Reserve, Zimbabwe from May 7 to June 20, 2017 and four body measurements namely shoulder height, head-to-tail, body, and tail length were recorded. The same measurements were taken from 101 scaled photographs of the leopards recorded during a baited-camera trapping (BCT) survey conducted from July 1 to October 22, 2017 and differences from the actual measurements calculated. Generalized Linear Mixed Effects Models were used to determine the effect of type ...

Data collected from pugmark tracking over four years from 1989 to 1992 were combined and analysed for biological inferences. Results were kept very simple and intelligible to all staff who participated in the exercises. During the period 1989-1992 the tiger population appeared stable around 94 including male, female and cub. The mean male:female ratio was 1:2 for tiger and 1.8 for leopard. The tiger cubs at 10.0-10.9cm PML (hind Pug Mark Length) were low in numbers, suggesting their disappearance from the main population. This size corresponds to stage of separation from mother and entering a wandering phase before creating own territory. Because of track overlaps usually single cubs could be identified with the mother tigress, and 36% of total numbers of females held all cubs in three age-classes. It appeared that about 12% of the female population litter in a season. About 72% of the total cub-holding-mothers were within 12.0-13.9cm PML. There is scope to refine the census technique for Similipal Tiger Reserve to account for all the cubs with their mothers.

The Indian leopard Panthera pardus fusca is Critically Endangered in Bangladesh. Presence of the country’s second largest cat is based on speculations and its population is often considered to be unviable. No specific studies on Bangladesh’s leopard population have been conducted. Thus, scant empirical data for this range country exists. Here, we provide a review on leopard occurrences in the country between 2008 and 2020. We searched media reports and peer-reviewed publications, and compiled verifiable and geo-spatially extrapolatable records. Over the past 13 years,
we documented 21 confirmed incidents; nine of which were outcomes of human-leopard conflicts. In north-western Bangladesh, seven leopards strayed from North Bengal, India, a conflict hotspot for the species, into the country. Northern and northeastern Bangladesh had one incident each. These regions have forests bordering the Indian States of Meghalaya and Tripura, which are considered as possible extant leopard range. We noted five seizure records describing confiscation of three skins and four live specimens. We found seven encounters in the wild, all from southeastern
Bangladesh: five from the Chattogram Hill Tracts CHT and two from Cox’s
Bazar-Teknaf Peninsula. We also noted rapid degradation in the peninsular forests due to the Rohingya refugee crisis. The CHT forests, considered as extant range and from where the only leopard camera trap image in the country exists, are the best hope for the leopards in Bangladesh. Comprehensive surveys are recommended for north-eastern transborder forests, extensions of the Tripura Hills, and the CHT region in order to better understand and facilitate leopard conservation in the country. We also suggest a systematic approach to protect wildlife beyond protected areas considering transient leopard conflicts in the north-western region.

Many antelopes have an excellent sense of smell, and our human relatives such as Paranthropus robustus may have associate themselves with those antelope species during the day to avoid predation by lions, leopards and carnivores. This helps to explain why robust australopithecines successfully survived for nearly a million years on the Highveld of South Africa.

There is a little understanding of how apex carnivores partition their diet to coexist. We studied food habit and trophic niche overlap of two apex carnivores, tiger and leopard in the tropical forest of Similipal tiger reserve, eastern India. We used line transect and scat analysis method, to estimate the prey availability and determine the diet and prey selection of two apex carnivores. Tigers consumed mostly large and medium-sized prey, whereas leopards mostly consumed medium and small-sized prey. Both carnivores were not random in their consumption of prey, sambar and wild pigs were selectively consumed by tigers, whereas leopards selectively consumed wild pigs, barking deer and mouse deer. Dietary overlap between two carnivore species was moderate (Pianka's niche overlap index: 0.55), and trophic niche breadth (Levin's standardized niche breadth) of the leopard (0.52) was greater than that of the tiger (0.37). Overall, tigers exhibited specialized feeding habits, whereas leopards showed generalist feeding habits. Our study highlights the opportunistic nature of leopards and probably a reason for the species successfully coexist with tigers.

Urgent Environment Petition: “Pakistan has 14 National Parks, 84 Wildlife Sanctuaries, and 76 Game Reserves in addition to Several Reserve Forests, Protected Forests and State Forests. However, Pakistan's Protected Areas system suffers from the shortcomings:
The Ayub National Park and Leopard Conservancy is Particularly Facing Threats from The Very Top Level of Governance in Pakistan.
We Need to Act NOW!

A LION WHICH DOES NOT CRY? THE IMAGE OF THE LION IN HOMER.
Abstract: The article is devoted to the presentation of the image of the lion in the Homeric epics. The paper does not profess to create a study of the Homeric metaphor or comparisons related to lions,
but rather it is geared towards those interested in fauna in the ancient world. It aims to produce a complete picture of the lion in Homer: what it looks like, how people see it, what habits it has. The article will also aim to answer the question whether the lion of Homer’s times, which we meet in his epics, was indeed a part of everyday life for Greek people, or whether it was actually a creation adapted from the Near Eastern or Mycenean tradition.