TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - At Gede Pangrango National Park, West Java, there are 25 leopards remaining, covering areas of Cianjur, Sukabumi and Bogor.
The National Park Protection Unit Aden Mahyar said that the figure was the latest update issued in 2016.
“Leopards already lived here before the national park was established… After almost five years of research and installments of cameras, the team has finally found the native Mount Gede-Pangrango leopards,” Aden said.
Three leopards were initially caught on camera: two adult males and a cub. The latest to have been caught on camera is believed to be a family of leopards comprising an adult male, female and a cub.
The Forest Ecosystem Control (PEH) Cianjur chapter has been conducting camera surveillance in leopard monitoring area called Pasir Tengah Block.
It took until 2011 in the monitoring activities at Cianjur National Park to catch three leopards on camera at Geger Bentang Block.
As of now, in a bid to preserve and help breed the leopards in their habitat, the National Park operator has installed cameras in every location passed through by the animal.
“As long as the habitat is not threatened, leopards will stay away if they see humans. But if the habitat is disturbed, they will attack. Nevertheless, so far, there has never been an attack on any visitor of the national park by leopards,” he said.
ANTARA