javan leopard (Panthera pardus melas) Case Study
Home > Biodiversity Nature & People > Conservation Philanthropy > Grants > MBZF Grant 13256220
Continent: Asia
Country: Indonesia
Grant Amount: $8,650
Awarded Date: July 18, 2013
Erwin Wilianto
Javan Leopard Focus Group
Villa Citra III Bantarjati Blok B-12
Bogor
West Java
16152
Indonesia
Tel: +62 251 8317960
Mob: +62 878 22 7876 33
Javan leopard (Panthera pardus melas) is a Critical endangered (IUCN) species and protected by Indonesian law. And this is the last remain Java big carnivore. Its existence more threatened since there was lack of data regard to its distribution and population, also the habitat fragmentation and land-use transformation. People need to be more aware about this species and conservation act need be done.
This Program was set to gather much more information abour the Javan Leopard distribution and population data which is -unfortunaltely- still unknown. Not a lot of People and NGOs who work for this last Big Carnivore that remain exist in Java Island, opposite with his far relative from Sumatera, The Sumatran Tiger.
The condition was more and more threatening for this species, moreover the policy from the forestry or local goverment seems not giving much support for Javan Leopard conservation effort.Being state as West Java Provincial Symbol, not making this species more protected or supported. We count over 10 cases of Leopard-Human conflict happened and most of it makes the leopard as the victim (killed).
The Javan Leopard Foccus Group (Forum Pemerhati Macan Tutul Jawa) establish in mid of 2013 to help the government to handle this leopard issue. This forum member consist individual and NGO who care and willing to help the conservation of javan leopard. Start with compiling scaterred data and conduct field research. The output of those activity will be given to stake holder as the base line data for the authority in making policy.
Not only as a baseline data for making greater conservation act, this data also needed verymuch by some NGO who work directly with this species, such as PPS Cikananga (CIKANANGA Wildlife Animal Rehabilitation Center) which now rehabilitate orphan Javan Leopard that forced to be evacuate from their habitat because having conflict with people who -sadly- didn't want the leopard back to their nearby forest. And so PPS Cikananga need a place that suitable to release those leopard.
As been stated previously, the first aim is to have the distribution and population data of the leopard. from here we can manage the area that shoud has more priority to manage.
This program start form west Java and then continued to other place through Java Island. Mount Malabar, Wayang-Windu and Mount Tilu is choosen as the start point of the project. This area was evaluated as a good sampling point because have a different Protection status and local people culture. moreover those three area can be said lying in one geographical range.
Mount Malabar and Wayang Windu is a Protected Forest that manage by Perum PERHUTANI (a Government Agency who work for the Forestrial Industry) which the area is more vulnerable because there a big possibility for exploitation and transformation of land-use. particulary in Wayang Windu where has a geothermal industry.
Opposite with those two sites, Mount Tilu is a Nature Preserve area that manage by Departement of Forestry. This site is dedicated for all conservation effort.
From those two diffenet typical of Habitat we hope can give a picture about what was still inside the forest, especially Javan Leopard, and what could be done in the future.
Our ultimate mission is to protect and conserve the Javan Leopard and so this species will not facing a condition that happend to Javan Tiger.. EXTINCT!!!
It would need a lot more effort and more network to reach the goal. Local people, Government and NGOs involvement is a must to fullfill this mission.
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