Javan leopard
Encyclopedia
The Javan leopard is a leopard
subspecies confined to the Indonesia
n island of Java and classified as critically endangered
by IUCN since 2008. The population is estimated at less than 250 mature individuals, with a decreasing population trend. The total remaining habitat is estimated at just 2267.9 to 3277.3 km² (875.6 to 1,265.4 sqmi).
The leopard is the provincial identity animal of West Java
.
with dark black spots and silver-grey eyes.
Javan leopards have either a normal spotted coat, or a recessive phenotype resulting in an all black coat.
, Gunung Gede Pangrango National Park
, Ceremai National Park, Merbabu National Park, Merapi National Park, Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park
, Meru Betiri National Park
, Baluran National Park
, and Alas Purwo National Park
. They can thrive in a variety of habitats ranging from patches of dense tropical rainforest
in the south-western part of the island, to the mountains, and to dry deciduous forests and scrub in the east. In the 1990s, they seemed to particularly thrive in the seral stages of successional vegetation patterns, which made them less susceptible than many other mammals to human's disruptive activities.
From 2001 to 2004, monitoring research has been conducted in a 20 km² (7.7 sq mi) area of Gunung Halimun National Park using camera trap
s and radio-tracking
. Seven leopards were identified in the study area. The total population was estimated at 42 to 58 individuals. Home range of an adult female was 9.82 km² (3.8 sq mi).
, silvered leaf monkey, wild boar, lesser mouse deer
, and the Javan gibbon. Javan leopards will also look for food in close by villages. They have been known to prey on domestic dogs, chickens, and goats. This poses a major problem to farmers.
With 118.3 million people Java holds 59% of Indonesia’s total population living in 2286 sq mi (5,920.7 km²). The human population density far exceeds most other island nation population densities.
Overall, efforts are being made to restore the population of these animals to prevent them from facing extinction, much like the Javan tiger
. Hunting laws are strictly enforced. In 2005, Gunung Halimun National Park was enlarged to three times its original size for restoration of the Javan leopard, the Javan gibbon, and the Javan Hawk-eagle
.
To addressed the issue of Java’s over-population, and encroachment
on habitat of protected species, the Indonesian government has formed a nationwide family planning program. This program makes contraceptive devices like condoms and several different forms of birth control pills more readily available to the public.
programs in Europe and America. As of 2007, the Taman Safari
zoo in Bogor
, Indonesia, kept 17 Javan leopards — seven males and 10 females, of which four were breeding pairs. The Indonesian zoos of Ragunan
and Surabaya
also keep Javan leopards.
As of November 2011, there is one male Javan leopard in a German
zoo, and one male and one female in the Jakarta
zoo.
that split off from other Asian leopards hundreds of thousands of years ago. In the Middle Pleistocene
, they may have migrated to Java from South Asia across a land bridge that bypassed Sumatra and Borneo.
Leopard
The leopard , Panthera pardus, is a member of the Felidae family and the smallest of the four "big cats" in the genus Panthera, the other three being the tiger, lion, and jaguar. The leopard was once distributed across eastern and southern Asia and Africa, from Siberia to South Africa, but its...
subspecies confined to the Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
n island of Java and classified as critically endangered
Critically endangered
Version 2010.3 of the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species identified 3744 Critically Endangered species, subspecies and varieties, stocks and subpopulations.Critically Endangered by kingdom:*1993 Animalia*2 Fungi*1745 Plantae*4 Protista-References:...
by IUCN since 2008. The population is estimated at less than 250 mature individuals, with a decreasing population trend. The total remaining habitat is estimated at just 2267.9 to 3277.3 km² (875.6 to 1,265.4 sqmi).
The leopard is the provincial identity animal of West Java
West Java
West Java , with a population of over 43 million, is the most populous and most densely populated province of Indonesia. Located on the island of Java, it is slightly smaller in area than densely populated Taiwan, but with nearly double the population...
.
Characteristics
The Javan leopard was initially described as being blackBlack panther
A black panther is typically a melanistic color variant of any of several species of larger cat. Wild black panthers in Latin America are black jaguars , in Asia and Africa they are black leopards , and in North America they may be black jaguars or possibly black cougars A black panther is...
with dark black spots and silver-grey eyes.
Javan leopards have either a normal spotted coat, or a recessive phenotype resulting in an all black coat.
Distribution and habitat
Javan leopards are confined to the Indonesian island of Java. They are known to occur in Gunung Halimun National Park, Ujung Kulon National ParkUjung Kulon National Park
Ujung Kulon National Park is located at the western-most tip of Java, Banten, Indonesia. It includes the volcanic island group of Krakatoa and other islands including Panaitan, Handeuleum and Peucang on the Sunda Strait.-Geography:...
, Gunung Gede Pangrango National Park
Gunung Gede Pangrango National Park
Mount Gede Pangrango National Park is a national park in West Java, Indonesia. The park is centred on two volcanoes—Mount Gede and Mount Pangrango— and is 150 km² in area....
, Ceremai National Park, Merbabu National Park, Merapi National Park, Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park
Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park
Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park is located in East Java, Indonesia, to the east of Malang and to the southeast of Surabaya, the capital of East Java. It is the only conservation area in Indonesia that has a sand sea, the Tengger Sand Sea , across which is the caldera of an ancient volcano from...
, Meru Betiri National Park
Meru Betiri National Park
Meru Betiri National Park is a national park in the province of East Java, Indonesia, extending over an area of 580 km² of which a small part is marine...
, Baluran National Park
Baluran National Park
Baluran National Park is located in East Java, Indonesia. It has a relatively dry climate and consists of lowland forests, savanna, mangrove forests and hills, with Mount Baluran as its highest peak....
, and Alas Purwo National Park
Alas Purwo National Park
Alas Purwo National Park is situated on Blambangan Peninsula in Banyuwangi regency, at the southeastern tip of East Java province. The park is famous for its wild Banteng and surfing location at Grajakan Bay....
. They can thrive in a variety of habitats ranging from patches of dense tropical rainforest
Tropical rainforest
A tropical rainforest is an ecosystem type that occurs roughly within the latitudes 28 degrees north or south of the equator . This ecosystem experiences high average temperatures and a significant amount of rainfall...
in the south-western part of the island, to the mountains, and to dry deciduous forests and scrub in the east. In the 1990s, they seemed to particularly thrive in the seral stages of successional vegetation patterns, which made them less susceptible than many other mammals to human's disruptive activities.
From 2001 to 2004, monitoring research has been conducted in a 20 km² (7.7 sq mi) area of Gunung Halimun National Park using camera trap
Camera trap
A camera trap is a remotely activated camera that is equipped with a motion sensor or an infrared sensor, or uses a light beam as a trigger. Camera trapping is a method for capturing wild animals on film when researchers are not present, and has been used in ecological research for decades...
s and radio-tracking
Telemetry
Telemetry is a technology that allows measurements to be made at a distance, usually via radio wave transmission and reception of the information. The word is derived from Greek roots: tele = remote, and metron = measure...
. Seven leopards were identified in the study area. The total population was estimated at 42 to 58 individuals. Home range of an adult female was 9.82 km² (3.8 sq mi).
Ecology and behavior
Motion cameras set up around Gunung Halimun National Park recorded peak activity time between the hours of 6:00-9:00am and 3:00-6:00pm.Diet
Javan leopards are obligate carnivores, meaning they only eat animal protein. Their diet consists of barking deer, long-tailed macaquesCrab-eating Macaque
The Crab-eating macaque is a cercopithecine primate native to Southeast Asia. It is also called the "long-tailed macaque", and is referred to as the "cynomolgus monkey" in laboratories.-Etymology:...
, silvered leaf monkey, wild boar, lesser mouse deer
Lesser Mouse-deer
The Lesser Mouse-deer or Kanchil , also known as the Lesser Malay Chevrotain, is a species of even-toed ungulate in the Tragulidae family...
, and the Javan gibbon. Javan leopards will also look for food in close by villages. They have been known to prey on domestic dogs, chickens, and goats. This poses a major problem to farmers.
Threats
Javan leopards are threatened by loss of habitat, prey base depletion and poaching due to human population growth and agricultural expansion. Java has lost more than 90% of its natural vegetation and is one of the most densely populated islands in the world. Primary forests remain only in the mountainous regions at elevations above 1400 m (4,593.2 ft).With 118.3 million people Java holds 59% of Indonesia’s total population living in 2286 sq mi (5,920.7 km²). The human population density far exceeds most other island nation population densities.
Conservation
Panthera pardus melas is listed in the CITES Appendix I.Overall, efforts are being made to restore the population of these animals to prevent them from facing extinction, much like the Javan tiger
Javan Tiger
The Javan tiger is an extinct tiger subspecies that inhabited the Indonesian island of Java until the mid-1970s. It was one of the three subspecies limited to islands.Mazák, J.H., Groves, C.P....
. Hunting laws are strictly enforced. In 2005, Gunung Halimun National Park was enlarged to three times its original size for restoration of the Javan leopard, the Javan gibbon, and the Javan Hawk-eagle
Javan Hawk-eagle
The Javan Hawk-Eagle, Nisaetus bartelsi is a medium-sized, approximately 61 cm long, dark brown raptor in the family Accipitridae. Its head and neck are rufous and it is heavily barred black below. It has a long black crest with a white tip. The sexes are similar...
.
To addressed the issue of Java’s over-population, and encroachment
Encroachment
Encroachment is a term which implies "advance beyond proper limits," and may have different interpretations depending on the context. Encroachment may refer to one of the following:* Temporal encroachment* Structural encroachment...
on habitat of protected species, the Indonesian government has formed a nationwide family planning program. This program makes contraceptive devices like condoms and several different forms of birth control pills more readily available to the public.
In captivity
In 1997, there were 14 Javan leopards in European zoos. The Javan leopard is not specifically managed in captive breedingCaptive breeding
Captive breedingis the process of breeding animals in human controlled environments with restricted settings, such as wildlife reserves, zoos and other conservation facilities; sometimes the process is construed to include release of individual organisms to the wild, when there is sufficient...
programs in Europe and America. As of 2007, the Taman Safari
Taman Safari
Taman Safari Indonesia or simply Taman Safari are safari parks in Bogor at West Java, in Mount Arjuno at East Java, and in Marina Beach in Bali. Part of the same organization, they are known as Taman Safari I, II and III. The most popular is Taman Safari I.-Taman Safari I:Taman Safari is located...
zoo in Bogor
Bogor
Bogor is a city on the island of Java in the West Java province of Indonesia. The city is located in the center of the Bogor Regency , 60 kilometers south of the Indonesian capital Jakarta...
, Indonesia, kept 17 Javan leopards — seven males and 10 females, of which four were breeding pairs. The Indonesian zoos of Ragunan
Ragunan Zoo
Ragunan Zoo is a zoo located in Pasar Minggu, South Jakarta, Indonesia. It is home to over 270 species of animals, 171 species of flora, and employs over 450 people. Many of the animals are endangered and threatened from all parts of Indonesia and the rest of the world. There are a total of 3,122...
and Surabaya
Surabaya
Surabaya is Indonesia's second-largest city with a population of over 2.7 million , and the capital of the province of East Java...
also keep Javan leopards.
As of November 2011, there is one male Javan leopard in a German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
zoo, and one male and one female in the Jakarta
Jakarta
Jakarta is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Officially known as the Special Capital Territory of Jakarta, it is located on the northwest coast of Java, has an area of , and a population of 9,580,000. Jakarta is the country's economic, cultural and political centre...
zoo.
Taxonomy
Molecular research has suggested that Javan leopards are craniometrically distinct from leopards from the rest of Asia, and are a distinct taxonTaxon
|thumb|270px|[[African elephants]] form a widely-accepted taxon, the [[genus]] LoxodontaA taxon is a group of organisms, which a taxonomist adjudges to be a unit. Usually a taxon is given a name and a rank, although neither is a requirement...
that split off from other Asian leopards hundreds of thousands of years ago. In the Middle Pleistocene
Middle Pleistocene
The Middle Pleistocene, more specifically referred to as the Ionian stage, is a period of geologic time from ca. 781 to 126 thousand years ago....
, they may have migrated to Java from South Asia across a land bridge that bypassed Sumatra and Borneo.