18 Apr 2007 - Vladivostok,
Russia/Gland, Switzerland – A new census
of one of the world’s most endangered cat,
the Far Eastern or Amur leopard, shows that
as few as 25 to 34 are left in the wild,
renewing fears for the future of the species.
In February and March, WWF, the global
conservation organization, along with the
Wildlife Conservation Society and the Pacific
Institute of Geography of the Russian Academy
of Science, conducted a routine snow-track
census of leopard numbers.
“The recent census confirmed once again
that the Far Eastern leopard (Panthera pardus
orientalis) survives on a very shaky edge,”
said Pavel Fomenko, biodiversity conservation
programme coordinator at the Far-Eastern
branch of WWF-Russia.
Mr Fomenko said encroaching civilization,
new roads, poaching, exploitation of forests,
and climate change had contributed to the
leopards’ plight.
“From my perspective,” he said, “the leopards’
exact number is not the main question. What
is really important is that the predator
is on the brink of extinction. And still
a unified protected area with national park
status has not been established, which is
the most important thing for the leopards’
survival.”
At least four leopard litters were encountered
during the census. This is a good sign because
it means that the population is not completely
depressed and is still able to restore itself.
But for long-term survival, at least 100
animals are needed.
“Conservation of large predators needs
vast territories with minimal anthropogenic
changes, which is difficult,” said Dr Dmitry
Pikunov, the coordinator of the 2007 leopard
census and head of the laboratory of animal
ecology and conservation of the Pacific
Institute of Geography of the Russian Academy
of Science.
According to Dr Pikunov, a mature leopard
needs 500 square kilometres of habitat with
good forests and high and stable amounts
of ungulates, including deer. Two to four
female leopards would live in the same amount
of land, reproduce and nourish their cubs.
“Maybe this is the reason why leopards
practically completely disappeared from
the Korean Peninsula and north-east China,”
said Dr Pikunov. “At the beginning of the
past century, the Far Eastern leopard was
a common species in the southern parts of
Sikhote-Alin and in some Khanka lake areas.
Right now it roams only in south-west Primorye.”
About 5000 square kilometres of land in
the south-west Primorye region, close to
the border between Russia, China and North
Korea, were transected for the census and
tracks left by the leopards in the snow
were counted. Scientists were able to determine
the number of the leopards by examining
the shape, size and patterns of the tracks
as well as determine the direction and time
of the animals’ movements.
In all, 35 field workers took part in the
census, working in more than 158 transected
sections.
“The snow track census is an important
method to monitor leopard numbers. We see
that its population has been balancing on
the edge of survival for many years,” said
Dr Dale Miquelle, director of the Wildlife
Conservation Society’s Russia programme
and coordinator of the previous census in
2005.
“But to understand the reasons, we should
research the ecology of the predator in
a more profound way, using latest techniques
such as automatic camera traps, radiotracking,
genetic and veterinary research.”
The census 2007 found 7-9 male leopards,
3-7 females without cubs, 4 females with
cubs, 5-6 cubs in all, and 6-8 undefined
tracks. Total: 25-34.
This compares with 9 males in 2003, 7 females
without cubs, 4-5 females with cubs, 4-5
cubs in all, and four undefined. Total:
28-30.
In 2000, the results were 4-5 males, 8-9
females without cubs, 1-2 females with cubs,
1-3 cubs in all and 8-9 undefined. Total:
22-28.
Yulia Fomenko, Head of Conmmunications
WWF-Russia Far East Programme
Joanna Benn, Communications Manager
WWF Global Species Programme
Olivier van Bogaert, Senior Press Officer
WWF International
+ More
Poaching and trade ban top international
tiger meeting agenda
18 Apr 2007 - Kathmandu, Nepal – Poaching
is a major threat to the tiger’s survival,
says leading experts attending an international
symposium on the species.
WWF and TRAFFIC urged delegates attending
the symposium, sponsored by the Global Tiger
Forum, to take a strong position on promoting
improved regional law enforcement to protect
the world’s wild tigers and to oppose the
re-opening of the tiger trade in China.
“A clear consensus emerged at the symposium
that poaching of tigers in the wild must
be combated urgently and that it requires
immediate, coordinated efforts both by countries
with tiger populations and countries driving
the black market demand for tiger parts,”
said Dr Susan Lieberman, director of WWF’s
Global Species Programme and chair of the
International Tiger Symposium.
“The world’s remaining wild tigers can’t
wait. The need for protecting them has never
been more urgent.”
One issue that dominated much of the discussion
was whether China would lift its successful
14-year ban on trade of tiger bone and allow
domestic sales of tiger products. A petition
to overturn the ban is pending before the
government by wealthy tiger farm investors,
who now have more than 4,000 semi-tame tigers
in captivity and are hoping to profit from
sales of tiger products.
“Such a move could be a death sentence
for wild tigers, which will be poached even
more relentlessly if there’s a legal market
for smugglers to ‘launder’ wild tiger products
through,” said Steven Broad, executive director
of TRAFFIC International.
“We call on the Global Tiger Forum to send
a clear message to China that the international
community finds any reopening of tiger trade
unacceptable.”
Other recommendations from the symposium
included: investigating ways to reduce human-tiger
conflict across Asia and share lessons about
methods to compensate communities for tiger
depredation; convening a meeting of law
enforcement experts to share advice and
approaches to halting illegal tiger trade;
and calling for the development of a global
tiger conservation strategy that would follow
an approach successfully used for African
lion conservation.
Jan Vertefeuille, Communications Manager
WWF International
Trishna Gurung, Communications Manager
WWF Nepal
