A Wild Cats World foundation in association with Wanicare foundation & Cikananga Wildlife Center, Indonesia project.
Funds are very much needed for the "Javan leopard release program" for the release of rescued wild leopards Dimas and Sawal back to their natural habitat and to be able to pursue this huge project to protect the critically endangered Javan leopard from extinction before it is too late and we can only find them in captivity. This project is
part of the huge Wild Cats World leopard conservation project, focusing already on the African and Nepal leopards.
Leopards Dimas and Sawal
Leopard Dimas (healthy male 2/3 years old) arrived in Cikananga on December 11th 2012.
Leopard Sawal is a beautiful adult male from approx 8-10 years old. Also Sawal is a victim of a human-leopard conflict. He was rescued from a certain death by the KSDA Region 3 Ciamis, in the evening of July 16th. 2013. After the KSDA captured Sawal we evacuated him to our center.
Because Dimas and Sawal are wild leopards who belong in their natural habitat we want to release them back as soon as possible. The longer they stay in captivity the more difficult it will be to release them. Therefore a release program matched with an education and awareness program for the public is very important.
We developed a release program in the first place only for Dimas that includes habitat assessment and survey, education-awareness program, involvement of local community and collaboration and support of the government.
Javan Leopard Release program
In the last year we received information about at least nine conflicts between humans and Javan leopards, this was only in West Java, only a small part of all conflictions and leopards ending up dead!
Four of these conflict leopards were rescued and taken to the Cikananga Wildlife Center. Unfortunately two of them (leopards Vita and Pieter) didn’t survive because they were probably poisoned! Even though we did everything we could to make them better, they were too sick and died!
Happily leopards Dimas and Sawal had more luck! They were captured because of human-leopard conflict, as the people were trying to catch the cats with traps in order to kill them. But now the leopards are waiting in a cage at the rescue center to return to the wild, which should have occurred already yesterday, but as for lack of funds and cooperation from government as well as habitat survey that is still being done, they have to wait a bit longer. Esp. 8-10 year old Sawal is showing signs of bad health caused by the stress of captivity and the humans nearby. We need to give them back their natural life as soon as we can, as a starter of this project. Can you help us? All funds, donations, sponsormoney is more than welcome. The sooner we can give these poor leopards back their freedom the better, and at the same time we can learn from this in order to continue the Javan leopard conservation in a professional way including:
- Habitat assessment and survey
- Education-awareness program
- Involvement of local community and collaboration
- Support of the government.
We found relevant people who are willing to help, advise and support us with this program.
The Javan Leopard
The Javan leopard is an endemic species to Java and at present
classified as critical endangered species on IUCN Red List. Categorized under
Appendix I CITES.
The Population estimates are not certain, but certainly less than 250
mature individuals, possibly even less than 100 (IUCN Red List).
That the Javan Leopard is endangered is a result of pet trade, hunting , habitat loss and fragmentation but also a decline of prey makes that the Javan leopards enter villages to find food, which causes leopard-human conflict.
While research has shown the important role of leopards in the ecosystem and
biodiversity in the rainforest and their role as top predators, the public in Java is not educated in this. Their lack of knowledge means they perceive the Javan Leopard as a threat and a risk to their wellbeing.
Wild Cats World Foundation
Dutch non-profit organisation founded by Babette de Jonge solely relying on the generosity of sponsors and supporters to help finance new wild cats projects benefiting the endangered wild cats species. WCW created a global network to raise awareness and give education on the plight of all 37 wild cat species.
they fight for a better welfare for captive born wild cats by investing in huge camps, enclosures and wild catspecies, to create a sanctuary that would offer a protected and natural life to different species of wild cats and to cooperate in re-wilding and release projects of rescued wild cats as well as off spring from the ambassador cats in the projects. The leopard conservation project is now extended from South Africa to Indonesia and Nepal.
The best of welfare in captivity and the wild is the mission of Wild Cats World at all times.
Wanicare Foundation
Non-governmental and non-profit organisation that runs entirely on volunteers and donations. The purpose is to prevent the wild animalstrade and to release animals back to their natural habitat. The mission is to protect wildlife by offering Wildlife rescue centers and related projects complete support in their work by giving personal attention and help to these programs by assisting with PR, funding, education, medical help and other needs the project requires.
The foundation was founded in 2009 and initially focused on supporting the animal rescue project of Cikananga Wildlife Center, West Java, Indonesia. Wanicare achieved much in the last couple of years and prepares for an increase and further development in the coming years. We will keep on supporting the animal rescue project of Cikananga Wildlife Center but the Wanicare foundation also wants to focus on helping other animal projects, rescue centers, and other projects related to nature conservation.
Wild Cats World, Cikananga Wildlife Centre and Wanicare Foundation join hands for Javan leopard conservation project
Together the foundations decided to start an alliance in order to give better support and have more ways to contribute to the all-important Javan leopard release/conservation project. Apart from this essential fundraising campaign, lots more info and regularly up-dates will be shared with a special PR program (media and social media). We will see to it that you can follow the project each step of the way, also the release of the two leopards to their natural habitat.
