Sri Lankan Leopards – Wilderness and Wildlife Conservation Trust

The subspecies of Sri Lankan leopard (Panthera pardus kotiya) is considered Endangered by the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature). Indeed, there are less than 800 individuals left on this island!

Here as elsewhere, panthers suffer from the fragmentation and disappearance of their habitat (especially for agriculture), poaching and persecution because they sometimes attack livestock…

Since 2001, the Wilderness & Wildlife Conservation Trust has been working to conserve them. Various research projects are being carried out in order to better understand the reasons for their disappearance, and to be able to set up a protection programme, in agreement with local populations and government organisations. At the same time, an education and awareness-raising programme is being carried out, through conferences, the distribution of books and leaflets, etc. Finally, this organization wishes to develop actions to reconnect the forests, allowing panthers to pass from one to the other without being in contact with humans!

We have been supporting this program since 2018.