It’s a rare sight these days – catching a glimpse of the sun glistening off the shiny, black coat of a Javan leopard as it makes its way through the Gunung Gede Pangrango National Park. These gorgeous animals have earned the unfortunate status of “Critically Endangered” on the IUCN red list.
Luckily, these particular Javan leopards have the advantage of living in one of the first national parks in Indonesia – and are the subject of a complex study being conducted by Conservation International. With the support of the SeaWorld & Busch Gardens Conservation Fund, the organization has spent the last few years documenting the habits of Javan leopards in the wild.
This project supports the conservation of the Javan leopard by achieving 4 goals:
1) Obtaining current population data and geographic distribution of Javan leopards throughout the park
2) Involving community participation in Javan leopard conservation
3) Aiding in the creation of effective policy aimed at the protection of this precious species
4) Putting long-term monitoring systems in place within the park
The SeaWorld & Busch Gardens Conservation Fund has partnered with Conservation International on a number of other projects since 2004 and believes in the value of its efforts.
