Leopards are the most widespread large cat globally but face severe pressure from habitat loss, persecution, and illegal trade, with individuals experiencing snaring, poisoning, and retaliatory killing.
Key Facts
Leopard populations have declined by approximately 75% over the last century across their range
Leopards are remarkably adaptable, surviving in habitats from rainforest to desert to suburban fringes
Human-leopard conflict is a major welfare issue as leopards take livestock and occasionally attack people
Snaring is one of the most common causes of non-natural leopard mortality in Africa and Asia
The illegal trade in leopard skins and bones for traditional medicine threatens populations across Asia
Leopards living near human settlements experience chronic stress from human presence and persecution
Welfare Considerations
Individual leopards face daily welfare challenges at the human-wildlife interface. Snares set for bushmeat animals catch leopards, causing severe leg injuries that may take days to kill or leave animals permanently disabled. Poisoned bait causes prolonged internal suffering. Leopards that habituate to livestock have shortened lives due to retaliatory killing. The chronic stress of living in fragmented, human-dominated landscapes affects leopard health and reproductive success. Cubs orphaned by conflict killing face near-certain starvation in most areas.
What You Can Do
Support coexistence programs using livestock guardian animals and secure enclosures to prevent conflict
Advocate for non-lethal conflict management policies over retaliatory killing
Donate to leopard monitoring and conservation programs in key range countries
Oppose products made from leopard skins, teeth, or bones
Support community-based conservation programs giving local people stakes in leopard protection
Engage with travel companies about responsible safari tourism that supports leopard conservation