International Leopard Day: A spotty outlook for the spotted cat

Leopards are the most widespread of the big cats, but their range across Asia and Africa is shrinking. In many places, so are their numbers.

Recent Mongabay coverage of leopards (Panthera pardus) revealed a global trade in leopard trophies and body parts, but also more hopeful signs, such as leopards persisting on the edge of Bengaluru, one of India’s largest cities.

For International Leopard Day on May 3, we look back at Mongabay’s reporting on leopards in three regions.

Researchers have estimated that Zambia’s Kafue National Park now has one of the highest leopard densities in Southern Africa, likely because of improved law enforcement, reported Mongabay contributor Ryan Truscott.

In West Africa, the situation is more dire. The West African leopard, a genetically distinct population found across 11 countries, is now considered endangered by the IUCN, the global wildlife conservation authority. The population has declined by 50% over the past two decades, and only about 350 mature individuals remain, reported Mongabay’s Elodie Toto.

“In Africa, the leopard is not doing too badly, but in West Africa it’s a different story,” said Robin Horion from U.S.-based wildcat conservation NGO Panthera.

The Javan leopard (P. pardus melas) is the last surviving apex predator on the Indonesian island of Java. With an estimated wild population of around 350, it’s classified as an endangered subspecies, threatened by hunting, habitat loss and the loss of prey.

In West Java province, Indonesian authorities earlier this year detained five people in connection with the alleged illegal hunting and shooting of a Javan leopard, reported Mongabay’s Basten Gokkon. To prevent the animal from going extinct, conservationists have urged stronger law enforcement, community involvement, and government investment.

There are some hopeful signs too. In 2025, Gokkon and Mongabay Indonesia’s Falahi Mubarok reported on a rare leopard photographed by camera trap on Mount Lawu, in Central Java province. The sighting led to increased conservation monitoring in the area.

“[T]his evidence serves as a compelling rationale for safeguarding the Lawu region and also promoting its biodiversity,” Andhika Ariyanto, who studies Javan leopards, told Mongabay.

The Sri Lankan leopard (P. pardus kotiya) has a country-wide population of about 1,000 mature individuals.

Kumana National Park in the east has emerged as a stronghold for these leopards, with an estimated density of 41 leopards per 100 square kilometers (106 per 100 square miles) in the park’s eastern region, reported contributor Malaka Rodrigo.

Elsewhere in the country, conservationists are worried about an apparent increase in targeted poaching of leopards for skin, teeth, claws and even meat, Rodrigo reported.

“Sri Lanka may not be part of an international trafficking chain for leopard bone or skin like some parts of India or Africa, but the possibility of small-scale trade or even ritual use of leopard parts cannot be ruled out,” conservation activist Sethil Muhandiram told Mongabay.

Banner image: A leopard in South Africa. Image by Rhett A. Butler/Mongabay.