A Home Away From Home: Insights from successful leopard (Panthera pardus) translocations
- March 16, 2015
- by F.J. Weise, J. Lemeris, K.J. Stratford, R.J. van Vuuren, S.J. Munro, S.J. Crawford, Marker L. L., A.B. Stein
Abstract
In this Namibian study, we critically evaluate the outcomes of another six leopard translocations, in terms of leopard ecology and conflict mitigation. The objectives of translocations were: (a) to return perceived or confirmed ‘‘problem leopards’’ into freeranging
environments with minimum potential for post-release conflict, (b) to enable these leopards to contribute to the wild gene pool, (c) to alleviate conflict at the source site in cases where livestock depredation had occurred, and (d) to research the factors that influence the success of leopard translocations for future conservation planning. We assess our results by comparing them with monitoring information from 12 resident conspecifics. We investigate translocation protocols to improve the efficacy of this strategy. We use a pragmatic, replicable modelling approach to determine suitable leopard habitat across Namibia. We identify specific release locations and estimate the potential number of leopard translocations.
