I know the answer really is that no one knows exactly. I got into a discussion with someone that was opposed to my hunting in Africa recently. She was particularly upset with me as to killing a leopard. She was a client in my business so I didn't tell her exactly everything that I thought. However the question came up of how many leopards are out there? Anybody have semi realistic numbers? Thanks. "D"

I have absolutely no idea of the actual numbers of Leopards. But it is important to remember that the Leopard is actually one of the animals that adapts best to the changes occurring in Africa (population increases, expansion of cities etc.). Leopards live in the most surprising of environments.

On top of that, sport hunting for leopards is controlled by the CITES rules. That is, approval of any export licences will go through a process intended to ensure that the offtake will be commensurate with sustained usage of the resource. Where leopards may be under pressure could be from farmers (cattle and other livestock), who don't need CITES approval for their kills.

Your lady acquaintance was probably not quite up to scratch with the status of the leopard in today's Africa. It may have been threathened in the past, but I doubt it is today. Watching the latest documentary about Leopards on TV is not always the best way to get to know the whole story, though.

- mike

P.S. In general, controlled sport hunting (sustained usage) is the best hope for Africa's game. It puts a value on the game and gives the local population an incentive to conserve the resource.

The leopard is probably is a very common african animal. Tons of them.

I reckon at the end of time the leopard will be one of the last animals standing because of it's ability to survive on almost anything and anywhere.

I think actual numbers would be near impossible.Leopard tracks are common in Africa and worldwide it is said to be the most prolific of the great cats. I personally believe that there are many leopards though out Africa. I have seen their tracks and/or visual sightings in the African countries I've hunted. They are common in most of Asia, and Indonesia. I think the reason for such tight regulation is the potential for open market poaching more than any danger from legal hunting.

6,106,119. Last time I counted.

But really. I wouldn't worry about enguaging in these type arguments. When people get offended by ellephant, leopard, or whatever hunting. I simply tell them, "You have been lied to all your life and everything you think you know about wildlife is a fabricated scam". After that if they are curious to know the truth I will discuss these things very scientificly. If the conversation starts becoming emotional I back away.

I just read an article that said the only areas where leopards occur historically that have shown a decline in numbers are in Western African countries where poaching of prey species has depleted their food source. In 1988, there was a study done that said there were 741,000 leopards in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Another article said that the current CITIES quota on leopard represents a very sustainable yield with absolutely no effect on the general population.

I tried to create a link to both articles, but my computer declined to copy the addresses, so simply google "leopard numbers in Africa" and open "Catfolk Species Accounts: Leopard" and the other article, Hunting in South Africa: Facts, Risks, Opportunitities"

D,
I have studied leopards extensivly for many years now, and I have read alot of different studies on them. One biologist thinks that there are as many as 700,000-1,000,000 leopards in Africa alone. There are also thousands more in India and Asia.
They will be the last big cat standing when we are finished totally f-ing-up the planet!

The officially accepted figures by both USF&W and CITES is that Zim has 30,000 leopard and 5-7,000 Cheetah

Since the farm invasions cut the leopard by 25% and the cheetah by 90%

Those are interesting stats. I would have guessed higher than that but 30,000 leopard is a lot of cats. What is the annual take...less than 500? That's too bad about the cheetahs taking such a hit.

On a slightly different note, leopards have returned to my part of Africa for the first time since being shot out in the 1920's. Population pressures are a fraction now of what they were and they are here to stay.

You might tell her they are sort of like aligators in Florida. Declared almost extinct one year and sitting in every ditch in the state eating everyones pets and kids a few years later!

Unless she is from Califronia where they have banned hunting, import or even shipping thru the state Mt. Lions. In that case recommend she take up jogging!

Now for a more scientific answer

Leopard Taxonomy

Subspecies;

Indian Leopard; It has been suggested that there may be as many as 30 extant subspecies of the Leopard. However, modern taxonomic analyses have demonstrated that only 8/9 subspecies are valid.[18][19]

Indo-Chinese Leopard (Panthera pardus delacouri), Mainland Southeast Asia
Indian Leopard (Panthera pardus fusca), India, South eastern Pakistan, Nepal, Northern Bangladesh
North China Leopard (Panthera pardus japonensis), China
Sri Lanka Leopard (Panthera pardus kotiya), Sri Lanka
Java Leopard (Panthera pardus melas), Java
Amur Leopard (Panthera pardus orientalis), Russian Far East, Northern China, Korea
African Leopard (Panthera pardus pardus), Africa
Persian Leopard or Iranian leopard (Panthera pardus saxicolor), Southwest Asia
Arabian Leopard (Panthera pardus nimr), Arabian Peninsula; Often included in the Persian Leopard (Panthera pardus saxicolor)

Sri Lankan Leopard
Female leopard in the Sabi Sands area of South Africa. Note the white spot on the tail used for communicating with cubs while hunting or in long grass Other subspecies under the old taxonomic division:

Today usually included in the African Leopard (Panthera pardus pardus):

Barbary Leopard (Panthera pardus panthera)
Cape Leopard (Panthera pardus melanotica)
Central African Leopard (Panthera pardus shortridgei)
Congo Leopard (Panthera pardus ituriensis)
East African Leopard (Panthera pardus suahelica)
Eritrean Leopard (Panthera pardus antinorii)
Somalian Leopard (Panthera pardus nanopardus)
Ugandan Leopard ((Panthera pardus chui)
West African Leopard (Panthera pardus reichinowi)
West African Forest Leopard (Panthera pardus leopardus)
Zanzibar Leopard (Panthera pardus adersi)

Today usually included in The Persian Leopard (Panthera pardus saxicolor):

Anatolian Leopard (Panthera pardus tulliana)
Baluchistan Leopard (Panthera pardus sindica)
Caucasus Leopard (Panthera pardus ciscaucasica)
Central Persian Leopard (Panthera pardus dathei)
Sinai Leopard (Panthera pardus jarvisi)

Today usually included in The Indian Leopard (Panthera pardus fusca)

Kashmir Leopard (Panthera pardus millardi)
Nepal Leopard (Panthera pardus pernigra)

Prehistoric extinct subspecies
European leopard (Panthera pardus sickenbergi) (†)

According to the below link International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources in 2002 there were over 50,000 mature breeding leopards (Panthera pardus pardus)

African Leopard Status

Note that the only subspecies listed as extinct were those residing in Europe. If leopards lived in your lady friends neighborhood they would likely be headed towards the same demise!

quote:

North China Leopard (Panthera pardus japonensis), China

hmm., if it's from china how come its not called chinanensis? sorry couldn't help it.

Seriosuly, fascinating and informative post that makes this place so great. The Sri-Lankan leopard is also interesting. Wonder how long ago Sri-Lanka (Ceylon) separated from the continent and how on earth did leopards get over there yet there are no cats in Madagascar? Thanks again. jorge

Leopards are like coyotes...They are shot, poisoned, and trapped and they still manage to multiply...


Mike

I certainly don't have a real answer, but while in RSA in august we saw lots of tracks all sizes on several different farms. My PH said , the permits had become difficult to get and over the past few years the numbers have increased a lot. I saw many tracks along the limpopo river on the Bots boarder.

Craig Boddington's "Leopard" DVD has a great discussion on the subject of where Leopards are and how many throughout the Southern Africa countries. Didn't have time to review it and post here but it seems like a reliable source of information for those interested.

Larry Sellers