Protect Africa’s Leopard

Introduction

Elusive, solitary and highly adaptable, leopards are among Africa’s most iconic predators. Yet their ability to survive across diverse landscapes has not protected them from a changing world. Habitat loss and fragmentation, declining prey, human-wildlife conflict, illegal killing and the trade in leopard skins and body parts continue to put pressure on populations across Africa. In South Africa, leopards are classified as Vulnerable, with their remaining populations increasingly fragmented across the landscapes they depend upon.

Why LEOPARD conservation matters

Leopards need large, connected territories to hunt, reproduce and disperse. As natural habitat becomes increasingly fragmented, they are more likely to come into contact with people, livestock and roads. For farmers and herders, losing livestock to predators can have serious economic consequences, and in areas where conflict is high, leopards may be killed in retaliation or to prevent future losses.

Finding ways for people and leopards to share these landscapes is essential to their long-term survival. Supporting research, monitoring and practical conflict-mitigation measures can help reduce livestock losses, protect community livelihoods and create safer spaces for leopards to move and thrive. Protecting the leopard ultimately means protecting the connected ecosystems they inhabit, while helping communities see coexistence as a viable alternative to removing these important predators.