News Focus – Javan leopard rescued by Bogor Safari Park in good condition, still under observation

The Javan leopard has been listed as ‘endangered’ on the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Red List since 2021.

 

Bogor, Jawa Barat (Indonesia Window) – About the end of last March, a Javan leopard (Panthera pardus melas) ‘triggered conflicts’ with residents of Indonesia’s Ciwarna village in Mancak sub-district, Serang district, Banten province.

The wild animal, which is also locally known as ‘matulja’, had preyed on chickens and sheep belonging to the villagers.

“After learning the report, on March 27, 2025, at 10 pm, the rescue team from Taman Safari Indonesia (TSI/the Indonesian Safari Park) in Bogor district, West Java province, immediately rushed to the location to evacuate the Javane leopard using a trap cage,” Vice President of Life Science TSI Group, Veterinarian Bongot Huaso Mulia, told journalist at the TSI’s leopard breeding facility, in Bogor, Wednesday (April 16).

The next day, on March 28, the animal that has been listed as ‘endangered’ on the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Red List since 2021, was taken to the Bogor TSI’s Javan Leopard Breeding Center.

“At the breeding center, we conducted a physical examination. The results of the examination of the teeth and other body parts show that this Javanese leopard is three years old, has shiny fur, a normal body temperature of 37.3 degrees, and weighed 20 kilograms,” Bongot noted, adding that the condition of the leopard’s eyes, ears, digestive tract and respiratory tract were also normal, and there were no abnormalities or fractures or broken bones.

However, there was a time gap where the female leopard showed agonistic behavior, namely social behavior related to fighting.

“This leopard tends to stay in the corner of the room with its eyes wide open. There is no aggressive behavior against the presence of the animal caretaker, such as showing fangs, growling or hissing, or jumping to attack. This behavior is different from other leopards,” he explained.

After undergoing rapid tests for CDV (Canine Distemper Virus) and FPV (Feline Panleukopenia Virus), it was concluded that the endangered animal had been exposed to CDV and FPV.

“Therefore, we continue to conduct observations, so that later this Javanese leopard can be released back into its natural habitat,” the veterinarian pointed out.

At the event, the head of the West Java Natural Resources Conservation Center, Agus Arianto, expressed his support for the efforts to save the Javan leopard in Serang district.

“This rescue effort is also expected to overcome animal-human conflicts, because many villages border protected forests and wildlife conservation areas,” he said.

Regarding the human-animal conflict in Banten province, the Chairperson of the Javan Leopard Conservation Forum (FORMATA), Dede Aulia Rahman, said that such incidents have occurred since 2020, with many factors influencing them.

“Currently, the natural habitat area of ​​wild animals is decreasing, and they (wild animals) tend to show agonistic behavior, namely not afraid of humans,” he said.

He added that FORMATA, whose members come from various backgrounds, including NGOs, researchers, corporations, volunteers, and other professional workers, focuses on efforts to conserve the Javan leopard, which is now the only predator on Java Island after the Javanese tiger was declared extinct in 1980.

FORMATA’s activities were appreciated by the Commissioner of the Bogor TSI, Tony Sumampau, who stated that since six years ago, the TSI has also focused on efforts to conserve wildlife that has received less attention or tends to be forgotten, because it ‘loses’ to saving ‘mega species’.

“Currently we have 5-6 hectares of breeding land, especially for songbirds, such as the Javanese magpie, the white starling, whose population is decreasing. In the end, these conserved animals will be released into the wild,” explained Tony, who is also the Secretary General of the Indonesian Zoo Association.

It is currently estimated that there are only around 350 adult Javan leopards ‘left’ in the world.

The Javan leopard is threatened by habitat loss, depletion of prey bases, and poaching due to human population growth and agricultural land expansion.

The conflict between humans and leopards is also considered a major threat to this endangered animal.

Reporting by Indonesia Window