Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
there is prey, leopards will move in; the all-time best African predator adapted to the
environment, including turning to fishing on islands when stranded in Lake Kariba. The Amur
leopard of the Far East has not been as adaptable. According to the WWF, males need 500
square km and in 2000 there were only 22 to 28 and although the population had increased
from 25 to 34, 100 are probably needed to maintain the population. Part of the success of
African leopards is that their spots and reclusive nature hides them. A study by the WCS
(Wildlife Conservation Society, formally founded in 1895 as the New York Zoological
Society based at the Bronx Zoo) and London Zoo using 400 trail cameras showed that leopards
avoided crop fields and sensitive rivers to avoid human contact. Of the 35 cats with
genetically determined spots, all tend to habituate dense low light forests or dark riverine
habitats with dense vegetation. The obvious exception is cheetah and to some extent Serval
cats, the latter among the most efficient hunters with a 70% success rate although domestic
cats, both feral (about 80 million) and tame, are also very efficient and probably kill over 2
billion birds a year and over 10 billion mammals a year in the USA. Tigers are also an
anomaly in living in dense vegetation, yet they do not have spots but rather stripes. Presumably
these stripes aid in their camouflage, maybe because in winter in the jungle undergrowth grey
vertical sapling trunks and vines abound and vertical stripes of the tigers blend well.
Annoyed Tiger
As an aside, it is worth pointing out that WWF (World Wildlife Fund, the name still used for
the USA and Canadian branches but changed to World Wide Fund for Nature internationally)
arose from IUCN in 1961 as a fundraising and educational complimentary arm. Aldous Huxley
was director for UNESCO and felt that a wildlife and conservation organization was needed
and together with others founded IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature and
Natural Resources, also known by the name World Conservation Union) in 1956 and in 1974
was involved in setting up CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species
of Wild Fauna and Flora). IUCN particularly works with communities and countries on
conservations issues and recommending codes or guidelines. During my working career I have
supported WWF and the Owens Foundation for their efforts at wildlife conservation in Africa,
National Geographic Society, and at various times Nature Conservancy, Audubon Society, and
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