{"title":"尼日利亚加沙卡古姆蒂国家公园的豹子(Panthera pardus pardus):历史记录和近期目击情况","authors":"Gonçalo Jesus, Pepeh Kamaya, Volker Sommer","doi":"10.4081/tz.2023.137","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"West-African populations of the African subspecies of leopards (Panthera pardus pardus) are very fragmented, particularly so in Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation. We compile historical and recent information about the occurrence of these big cats in what is likely their last remaining stronghold: Gashaka Gumti National Park (GGNP) in Adamawa and Taraba States along the border with Cameroon. Leopards in GGNP’s northern Gumti sector are close to extinction, given that its open plains of savannah are heavily encroached upon by illegal cattle grazing. However, in GGNP’s southern Gashaka sector, leopards are better protected, given its often mountainous and densely forested landscape. We present specific data for a 30 km2 forest-savannah area around a research station at Kwano, which harbours sizeable populations of 35 species of prey species leopards target elsewhere. Here, direct evidence for leopard presence (e.g., footprints, scratchmarks, predation incidences, vocalizations, sightings, cameratrap images) amounts to 1 per year. Albeit this encounter rate is very low, it is relatively steady throughout the last 30 years and into the present. We assume that GGNP’s Gashaka sector represents one of the best chances for leopards to survive in Nigeria.","PeriodicalId":54409,"journal":{"name":"Tropical Zoology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.7000,"publicationDate":"2024-02-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":"{\"title\":\"Leopards (Panthera pardus pardus) in Gashaka Gumti National Park, Nigeria: historical records and recent sightings\",\"authors\":\"Gonçalo Jesus, Pepeh Kamaya, Volker Sommer\",\"doi\":\"10.4081/tz.2023.137\",\"DOIUrl\":null,\"url\":null,\"abstract\":\"West-African populations of the African subspecies of leopards (Panthera pardus pardus) are very fragmented, particularly so in Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation. We compile historical and recent information about the occurrence of these big cats in what is likely their last remaining stronghold: Gashaka Gumti National Park (GGNP) in Adamawa and Taraba States along the border with Cameroon. Leopards in GGNP’s northern Gumti sector are close to extinction, given that its open plains of savannah are heavily encroached upon by illegal cattle grazing. However, in GGNP’s southern Gashaka sector, leopards are better protected, given its often mountainous and densely forested landscape. We present specific data for a 30 km2 forest-savannah area around a research station at Kwano, which harbours sizeable populations of 35 species of prey species leopards target elsewhere. Here, direct evidence for leopard presence (e.g., footprints, scratchmarks, predation incidences, vocalizations, sightings, cameratrap images) amounts to 1 per year. Albeit this encounter rate is very low, it is relatively steady throughout the last 30 years and into the present. We assume that GGNP’s Gashaka sector represents one of the best chances for leopards to survive in Nigeria.\",\"PeriodicalId\":54409,\"journal\":{\"name\":\"Tropical Zoology\",\"volume\":null,\"pages\":null},\"PeriodicalIF\":0.7000,\"publicationDate\":\"2024-02-21\",\"publicationTypes\":\"Journal Article\",\"fieldsOfStudy\":null,\"isOpenAccess\":false,\"openAccessPdf\":\"\",\"citationCount\":\"0\",\"resultStr\":null,\"platform\":\"Semanticscholar\",\"paperid\":null,\"PeriodicalName\":\"Tropical Zoology\",\"FirstCategoryId\":\"99\",\"ListUrlMain\":\"https://doi.org/10.4081/tz.2023.137\",\"RegionNum\":4,\"RegionCategory\":\"生物学\",\"ArticlePicture\":[],\"TitleCN\":null,\"AbstractTextCN\":null,\"PMCID\":null,\"EPubDate\":\"\",\"PubModel\":\"\",\"JCR\":\"Q4\",\"JCRName\":\"ZOOLOGY\",\"Score\":null,\"Total\":0}","platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Tropical Zoology","FirstCategoryId":"99","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.4081/tz.2023.137","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q4","JCRName":"ZOOLOGY","Score":null,"Total":0}
Leopards (Panthera pardus pardus) in Gashaka Gumti National Park, Nigeria: historical records and recent sightings
West-African populations of the African subspecies of leopards (Panthera pardus pardus) are very fragmented, particularly so in Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation. We compile historical and recent information about the occurrence of these big cats in what is likely their last remaining stronghold: Gashaka Gumti National Park (GGNP) in Adamawa and Taraba States along the border with Cameroon. Leopards in GGNP’s northern Gumti sector are close to extinction, given that its open plains of savannah are heavily encroached upon by illegal cattle grazing. However, in GGNP’s southern Gashaka sector, leopards are better protected, given its often mountainous and densely forested landscape. We present specific data for a 30 km2 forest-savannah area around a research station at Kwano, which harbours sizeable populations of 35 species of prey species leopards target elsewhere. Here, direct evidence for leopard presence (e.g., footprints, scratchmarks, predation incidences, vocalizations, sightings, cameratrap images) amounts to 1 per year. Albeit this encounter rate is very low, it is relatively steady throughout the last 30 years and into the present. We assume that GGNP’s Gashaka sector represents one of the best chances for leopards to survive in Nigeria.
期刊介绍:
Tropical Zoology is an international zoological journal publishing original papers in the field of systematics, biogeography, phylogeny, ecology and conservation of all terrestrial and aquatic animal Phyla from tropical and subtropical areas.
Only papers with new information, high quality and broad interest are considered. Single species description and checklists are not normally accepted. Review papers are welcome. The journal is owned by the Istituto di Ricerca sugli Ecosistemi Terrestri of the Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Florence, Italy (CNR-IRET) who performs research into the structure and functioning of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, focusing in particular on anthropogenic pressure and global change. The knowledge amassed forms the scientific basis for identifying the most appropriate protective and corrective interventions, and provides support for the bodies entrusted with formulating policies for environmental protection and recovery.