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Endangered leopards prey on livestock in Central Java
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A Javan leopard walks on a branch of a tree in this file photo from the Tasikmalaya Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA) in West Java. (Courtesy of Tribunnews.com/File)
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esidents of Tempur village in Jepara, Central Java, have reported that Javan leopards, a critically endangered species, have been preying on their livestock in recent weeks.
“Four goats have been killed in the past month,” Tempur resident Junaedi told Detik on Thursday.
The Javan leopard is a subspecies confined to island of Java and is the official provincial animal of West Java.
They have been listed as critically endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, with a population estimated to be less than 250.
Hendra Gunawan, a biodiversity conservation expert with the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) said the leopards were encroaching upon farms in Jepara because their habitat on Mount Muria had been damaged.
He said it was high time for the government to designate the mountain a conservation forest. It is currently classified as a “protection and production” forest.
“Hopefully, Central Java Governor [Ganjar Pranowo] can immediately propose this designation to the Environment and Forestry Ministry,” Hendra told The Jakarta Post on Sunday.
Mount Muria has one of the largest populations of Javan leopards, alongside Mount Slamet and Mount Lawu.
The species, however, is facing a continuing loss of habitat due to land conversion.
“Much of their habitat is being turned into farms,” Hendra said. (dre)
