The Asian Leopard is in dire need of our help.
The figures are in for 2012 and it is alarming. The leopard in India is being killed off at the rate of 4 a week/208 a year.
Take this into consideration. A leopard reaches sexual maturity at the age of 18 months to 24 months of age. They are solitary animals, so they must seek each other out. The courtship is volatile but brief. The leopardess carries for 91-93 days, with a resulting litter of one to three cubs.
The mortality rate on the litter if fifty percent. This is due to other predators and of course, the biggest predator of all… man.
That 1.5 cub survives and stays with his/her mother until they are 18 months to 24 months of age. During that time the mother is teaching her offspring to hunt and survive, thus she does not seek to re breed. She will push her baby out about the time they become sexually mature.
So, the leopardess produces 1.5 cubs every TWO years and they are killing off FOUR A WEEK! AND this is just what has been reported!! HOW LONG DO YOU THINK THE ASIAN LEOPARD CAN LAST?!
The AZA (Association of Zoo’s and Aquariums) does not include the Leopard on their breeding program, nor is it listed on the program, that they designed called the SSP (Species Survival Program). At the time of this writing, AZA affiliated zoo’s breed the Snow and Amur Leopard.
The fate of the leopard does not depend on the SSP or the AZA.. the fate of the Leopard rests entirely upon the private zoo and private owners hands… and YOURS!!
Big cat bans are not good! Bans are never good, but this one by far is the worst. And if it is passed, the Asian Leopard will be history. Do you want your children to see a Leopard only in a book or Google, and saying. “Wow… they WERE beautiful” or do you want to be able to see them once again in the wild protected? The private sector has enough diverse gene pool to do just that.
All of God’s creatures are worthy of saving, but the Leopard is in a state of emergency. Please.. do not let this jewel slip into the night to never be seen again,
Hugs from the Jungle
