There are now just 354 leopards across the whole of West Africa. Even they too could soon vanish

The leopard, one of the main carnivores of West Africa, has declined by more than 50 per cent in the last three generations (22.3 years), according to the latest International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) assessment. The main reasons for the decline are anthropogenic.

There are now 187-610 leopards in the region. However, the best estimate, as per IUCN is 354.

This population is spread across the countries of Benin; Burkina Faso; Côte d'Ivoire; Ghana; Guinea; Guinea-Bissau; Niger; Nigeria and Senegal. East of Nigeria, leopards might be related to individuals in Cameroon in Central Africa. However, in absence of information, the IUCN chose to use political boundaries for the assessment, as it will facilitate the proposal for a Regional Conservation Strategy and National Action Plans.

The largest sub-population of leopards in West Africa, of 110 individuals, is present across Senegal and northern Guinea.

According to the organisation, the leopard occupied extensive areas across West Africa before the 1750s.

However, their populations have dwindled and become fragmented, leading to their extirpation from significant portions of their former habitats. “Since the 1750s, their range loss has been estimated to be between 86-95% in West Africa, which is much higher than the average range loss (63-75%) for the species globally,” noted the assessment.

Primary causes

The major reasons for the decline of the leopard in West Africa are the exponential growth of the human population and the resulting land-use changes, prey loss, and poaching for the illegal trade and use of their body parts, notably their skin.

West Africa has experienced persistent and rapid human population growth, with growth rates exceeding global averages, particularly since the late 1960s. The region’s population has quintupled since 1950 and is projected to double by 2050.

“As a result, West Africa has seen an expansion of its cropland by up to 30% between 2003 and 2019, notably in Senegal, Ghana, Benin and Nigeria. Most of those new croplands have been created by clearing natural habitats, particularly savannas and forests/woodlands, rather than converting pastures or previously abandoned farmland,” the assessment noted.

Because of this change in land use, suitable leopard range has been reduced by more than 50 per cent in West Africa in the last three generations (22.3 years), resulting in a suspected leopard population reduction.

Similarly, the leopard’s prey species like the Bushbuck and duiker are increasingly threatened by habitat loss and fragmentation, and unsustainable bushmeat hunting, leading to the collapse of their populations. “Trade in bushmeat has caused an estimated 85% decline in Leopard prey populations across eleven PAs in West Africa between 1970 and 2002,” observed the IUCN.

Finally, leopard body parts (notably skins) are widely used in West Africa, including for traditional and leader attires, for traditional medicine, zootherapy and spirituality. “This widespread poaching, trafficking and illegal use adds to the other threats and is suspected to participate in the reduction in the Leopard population in the region.”

The IUCN assessment warns that “as the causes for Leopard population decline in West Africa are tightly linked to humans and their activities, they are likely to continue as the human population in the region is projected to grow further, and future decline is anticipated unless important and regional conservation efforts are taken.”