Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Declan R. Morris, Todd J. McWhorter, Wayne S. J. Boardman, Greg Simpson, Jeanette Wentzel, Jannie Coetzee, Ferreira Du Plessis, Yoshan Moodley
Summary: This study aimed to investigate the population structure and genetic diversity of leopard populations in the Mpumalanga province of South Africa. The results showed genetic structuring and gene flow among the populations. The findings highlight the importance of conserving all leopard populations in South Africa for maintaining genetic diversity and protecting the species.
BIODIVERSITY AND CONSERVATION
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Caroline Good, Dawn Burnham, Tom P. Moorhouse, David W. Macdonald
Summary: The study quantified the fashion interest in leopard print and found little correlation between interest in leopard print and concern for wild leopards. Currently, conservation and fashion preferences are only loosely linked for most consumers, presenting a challenge and potential opportunity if they could be connected in a mutually beneficial way.
JOURNAL FOR NATURE CONSERVATION
(2021)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Ellie E. Armstrong, Michael G. Campana, Katherine A. Solari, Simon R. Morgan, Oliver A. Ryder, Vincent N. Naude, Gustaf Samelius, Koustubh Sharma, Elizabeth A. Hadly, Dmitri A. Petrov
Summary: This study assembled the genomes of three species within the Panthera genus, providing important data for genomic research. This contributes to a better understanding and conservation of this iconic group of mammals.
G3-GENES GENOMES GENETICS
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Reuven Yosef, Swapnil Kumbhojkar, Bablu Gurjar, Jakub Z. Kosicki
Summary: The earth's geomagnetic field influences the behavior of animals, including navigation, migration, territoriality, etc. This study found that Indian leopards align their bodies on the north-south axis during defecation according to the geomagnetic field, but no such preference was observed when walking.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Reuven Yosef, Swapnil Kumbhojkar, Bablu Gurjar, Jakub Z. Kosicki
Summary: The earth's geomagnetic field influences a wide range of animal behaviors, but little is known about its effects on felids. A study on Indian Leopards showed that they aligned their bodies on the north-south axis during defecation, demonstrating sensitivity to geomagnetic field during basic physiological activities.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Andrew J. Loveridge, Lara L. Sousa, Justin L. Seymour-Smith, Roseline Mandisodza-Chikerema, David W. Macdonald
Summary: Three quarters of large terrestrial mammalian predators, including African leopards, are declining globally. This study assesses the drivers of decline in African leopard populations in the Zimbabwean component of the Kavango-Zambezi (KAZA) Transfrontier Conservation Area. The study finds that leopard density is negatively affected by human factors, lion density, and is higher in wooded sites and rugged terrain.
BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION
(2022)
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Laura Tensen, John Power, Gerrie Camacho, Raquel Godinho, Bettine Jansen van Vuuren, Klaus Fischer
Summary: The red leopard colour morph is a unique variant found only in South Africa's Central Bushveld bioregion. The increasing prevalence of this phenotype is believed to be due to the low dispersal of young individuals caused by high levels of human-induced mortality and selective hunting, leading to an increase in rare genetic variants.
EVOLUTIONARY APPLICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Lana Muller, Willem Daniel Briers-Louw, Barbara Catharine Seele, Christiaan Stefanus Lochner, Rajan Amin
Summary: This study estimated the low leopard density and population size in the Western Cape, South Africa, with higher uncertainty in the locations of activity centers for male leopards. Livestock depredation events were significantly higher in winter, suggesting the need for intense monitoring of human-carnivore conflict mitigation measures during this season. Future conservation efforts should focus on privately-owned land, which contains the majority of suitable leopard habitat.
Article
Zoology
Haitao Yang, Bing Xie, Guojing Zhao, Yinan Gong, Pu Mou, Jianping Ge, Limin Feng
Summary: The study suggests that the wild population of North Chinese leopards is increasing in the remaining forests of the Loess Plateau, with a higher density compared to other areas in China. Prey species partially influence the habitat use of leopards, while human disturbances, especially oil wells, have negative impacts. Joint efforts by the government and researchers are needed to improve human disturbances management and prey population density, as well as to invest more in North Chinese leopard research for long-term survival and protection.
INTEGRATIVE ZOOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Dede Aulia Rahman, Uus Saepuloh, Yanto Santosa, Huda Shalahudin Darusman, Irene Margareth Romaria Pinondang, Andy Sean Kindangen, Amira Putri Pertiwi, Lana Sari, Andi Irawan, Keni Sultan, Puji Rianti
Summary: This study reports the first case of canine distemper virus (CDV) infection in a melanistic Javan leopard in Indonesia. The analysis confirmed CDV infection in the female leopard, and the CDV-H nucleotide sequence belonged to CDV's Asia 1 genotype. This finding provides insights into pathogen transmission between wildlife animals and supports conservation management in natural habitats in Indonesia.
Article
Veterinary Sciences
S. M. Kolangath, S. V. Upadhye, V. M. Dhoot, M. D. Pawshe, B. K. Bhadane, A. P. Gawande, R. M. Kolangath
Summary: This article presents a case study on Feline Panleukopenia, an important disease caused by a non-enveloped, single-stranded DNA virus. Molecular investigation and sequencing efforts were used to understand the evolutionary relationship of the virus and provide valuable data on epidemiology.
BMC VETERINARY RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Patricia Pecnerova, Genis Garcia-Erill, Xiaodong Liu, Casia Nursyifa, Ryan K. Waples, Cindy G. Santander, Liam Quinn, Peter Frandsen, Jonas Meisner, Frederik Filip Staeger, Malthe Sebro Rasmussen, Anna Bruniche-Olsen, Christian Hviid Friis Jorgensen, Rute R. da Fonseca, Hans R. Siegismund, Anders Albrechtsen, Rasmus Heller, Ida Moltke, Kristian Hanghoj
Summary: Research reveals that the genomic diversity of African leopards is higher than that of other large cats, likely due to their exceptionally high effective population size maintained throughout the Pleistocene. Compared to other large cats, African leopards exhibit ongoing gene flow and very low population differentiation within their population.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Michelle van As, Nico J. Smit, Nico J. Wolmarans, Victor Wepener
Summary: Compared to aquatic ecosystems, there is limited information on organochlorine accumulation in terrestrial ecosystems, particularly in terrestrial carnivores. This study investigated the concentrations of organochlorine pesticides in the blood of captive and wild leopards in South Africa, revealing slightly higher levels in captive leopards and differences between male and female leopards. The main sources of organochlorines in the leopards were attributed to the historic and current use of DDT and HCHs. This study highlights the importance of considering organochlorine concentrations in the conservation management of healthy leopard populations.
FRONTIERS IN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Geography, Physical
Liping Li, Haining Qin, Eimear Nic Lughadha, Yaomin Zheng, Huawei Wan, Jack Plummer, Melanie-Jayne R. Howes, Huiyuan Liu, Yangming Jiang, Tuo Wang, Huihui Zhao, Zhanfeng Shen, Huiping Huang
Summary: Based on the assessments in 2013 and 2020, a total of 4,088 (10.39%) species of Chinese higher plants are threatened in 2020, with 2,875 (7.31%) considered Near Threatened and 27,593 (70.16%) categorized as Least Concern. The Red List Index showed different patterns in the two years, indicating effective protection for threatened plant species in China. Attention should be given to non-threatened species in the future for conservation purposes.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DIGITAL EARTH
(2023)
Article
Biology
Rohit Chaudhary, Nazneen Zehra, Azra Musavi, Jamal Ahmad Khan
Summary: Despite the significant loss of their habitat, leopards in Gir Protected Area, Gujarat, India, have a population density of 19.90 +/- 3.38 (S.E.) individuals/100 km². This study holds importance for future monitoring and management strategies.