Image courtesy Himalayan Times
The spate of big cat skin and bone seizures of late, including several more of leopard in the last few days weighs heavy especially when there are recent publications stating how tiger numbers can still be doubled as per the 2022 target ... despite the fact that through the tiger range as a whole the population is only stable at best since the concept of doubling of populations was introduced in 2010, the most recent Year of the tiger.
Yes, there has been well publicized population increases in a couple of countries but they have been accompanied by challenges in census methodology. A lot of figures get thrown around, especially by organizations with expensive marketing...hmmm I wonder who pays for that? How good is the science of census? Topics for another day...
The leopard only has the conservation status of near threatened through most of its range although there are regions where the classification is up to critically endangered for some sub species including the Amur leopard of Russia. Here in Nepal, the local sub species is the Indian Leopard which is classified near threatened despite uncertainty about its population status and the constant threats of poaching and persecution because of human/wildlife conflict issues. But here's a couple of quotes:
“The illegal harvesting of trees, poaching of animals and trafficking of wildlife steals tens of billions of dollars each year from communities and countries. These in turn threaten the ecosystems we all rely on for safe food, pure water and clean air. Wildlife and forestry crime are global problems that require global solutions,” said Sheldon Jordan, Chair of INTERPOL’s Wildlife Crime Working Group.
The United Nations Environmental Crisis Assessment agrees, stating, “Healthy ecosystems provide the platform upon which future food production and economies are ultimately based.”
My argument is that if key predators are removed from ecosystems the effects are such that conservation status of that predator is irrelevant, the damage has been done. Yes, some species are able to naturally get replacements into territories where they have been taken and those who follow these blogs will know of our rewilding work and have read of the concept of getting orphaned cubs to a stage where they can be placed into habitats which need them.
But the continual removal of these big cats from their natural habitats, whether it be for conflict reasons or poaching for illegal commercial gain, is leading to dangerous consequences that in the main apathetic governments voted in by apathetic electors don't seem to understand, no matter how many times they are told.
It's a head shaking situation. I've been working with someone the last couple of days, someone who totally gets the situation and is in a position to increase understanding, I'll blog about that soon. I've got some long travel hours in and to big cat habitat in the next few days, further implementation of resources for big cat conservation the reason why but I have to admit I'm checking my messages with trepidation, hoping they won't tell me of yet another poaching incident or retaliation killing of a big cat... and constantly asking myself why my own species doesn't understand the consequences of these actions...
UPDATE: Virtually within seconds of posting this blog a source sent me information of another seizure, this time three leopard skins in far west Nepal.
My argument is that if key predators are removed from ecosystems the effects are such that conservation status of that predator is irrelevant, the damage has been done. Yes, some species are able to naturally get replacements into territories where they have been taken and those who follow these blogs will know of our rewilding work and have read of the concept of getting orphaned cubs to a stage where they can be placed into habitats which need them.
But the continual removal of these big cats from their natural habitats, whether it be for conflict reasons or poaching for illegal commercial gain, is leading to dangerous consequences that in the main apathetic governments voted in by apathetic electors don't seem to understand, no matter how many times they are told.
It's a head shaking situation. I've been working with someone the last couple of days, someone who totally gets the situation and is in a position to increase understanding, I'll blog about that soon. I've got some long travel hours in and to big cat habitat in the next few days, further implementation of resources for big cat conservation the reason why but I have to admit I'm checking my messages with trepidation, hoping they won't tell me of yet another poaching incident or retaliation killing of a big cat... and constantly asking myself why my own species doesn't understand the consequences of these actions...
UPDATE: Virtually within seconds of posting this blog a source sent me information of another seizure, this time three leopard skins in far west Nepal.
