Uncover The Unrevealed Data: The Magnitude of Javan Leopard Removal from The Wild

The Javan leopard Panthera pardus melas is one of three critically endangered

 leopard subspecies. Despite threats from severe habitat fragmentation and isolation, the magnitude of Javan leopard removal from its natural habitats might have been overlooked by the Indonesian authorities and conservation practitioners. Here we describe the magnitude of Javan leopard removals using unofficial data collated between 2007 and 2019. Over the past 13 years, an average of 4.6 leopards were removed from their natural habitats due to illegal trade and conflict incidents annually. With an estimate of some 500 wild Javan leopards remaining range-wide, this number is alarming as it may represent a minimum number of leopard removals. We, therefore, urge the management authorities to take immediate actions to strengthen the protection of Javan leopard from further loss due to both official and unofficial removals.