Sri Lankan leopard (Panthera pardus kotiya)

Species information

Videos and images

Threats

Leopards have been highly prized for their coats throughout their range, and there has recently been a worrying increase in the number of skins seized by authorities in Sri Lanka (4). Leopard bones have also started to replace tiger bones in traditional medicine, thus adding to the demand for poached individuals (4). Although renowned as adaptable creatures, the destruction of their native habitat is a further threat (2). Years of civil unrest in the country have also hampered conservation programmes (4).

Conservation

Trade in leopards, or products obtained from them, is banned by their listing on Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) (3). Further research into the little-known Sri Lankan leopard is desperately needed before any effective conservation measures may be put into place, and the Sri Lanka Wildlife Conservation Society is currently undertaking research for this purpose (7).