The question of whether the Zanzibar Leopard still roams the forests of Unguja Island is one of the most enduring mysteries in conservation biology. This unique population of the African Leopard (Panthera pardus pardus) is endemic to the Zanzibar Archipelago, specifically Unguja, and its status has been debated for decades. Its decline was rapid and primarily driven by human conflict. The conflicting evidence of its existence makes the Zanzibar Leopard a poignant case study in island ecology.
The Zanzibar Leopard: History of a Unique Population
The Zanzibar Leopard is considered a distinct, isolated population of the African Leopard, although it was formally described as a unique subspecies, Panthera pardus adersi, in 1932. This isolation began after the last Ice Age, when rising sea levels separated Unguja from the African mainland. The population evolved independently, adapting to the island’s limited resources. This resulted in a smaller body size compared to its mainland relatives, a phenomenon known as insular dwarfism. Its coat pattern also differed, often featuring more densely packed, smaller, and sometimes almost solid spots.
Local folklore complicated the leopard’s role, holding that these cats were “kept” by witches to harm villagers and livestock. This belief fueled fear and superstition, leading to persecution that intensified as the human population grew and encroached upon the leopard’s limited habitat. As land was cleared for agriculture, the natural prey base diminished. This forced the leopards into greater conflict with human settlements, where they preyed on domestic animals, setting the stage for the animal’s catastrophic decline.
Declared Extinct: The Initial Verdict
Intense persecution culminated in government-sanctioned extermination campaigns in the mid-20th century. Following the Zanzibar Revolution in 1964, a massive, island-wide campaign was launched, often led by witch-finders. This campaign combined the purging of alleged sorcerers with the systematic eradication of the leopard population. The animal was officially classified as “vermin,” legitimizing the relentless hunting and trapping that decimated the remaining numbers.
By the early 1980s, confirmed sightings by researchers had largely ceased, and the species became functionally extinct in the eyes of the international scientific community. Although local hunters indicated leopards were still being killed as late as 1995, the lack of verifiable evidence from scientific surveys led to a grim consensus. Conservation efforts planned in the mid-1990s were abandoned after extensive fieldwork, including camera traps, failed to yield any physical proof. By the late 1990s, the Zanzibar Leopard population was widely presumed to be extirpated from the wild.
The Camera Trap Debate: Evidence of Re-emergence
The long-held assumption of extinction was challenged in 2018 when a camera trap briefly captured footage of a leopard-like animal on Unguja Island. The video, taken by a crew filming the Animal Planet series Extinct or Alive, showed a spotted feline walking past the hidden camera. This single piece of evidence reignited international interest and hope that a small, isolated population might still be surviving.
The animal in the footage displayed characteristics consistent with historical descriptions, including a smaller stature and a low-slung posture. However, the sighting immediately sparked debate among zoologists. Critics pointed out the brevity of the video and the lack of corroborating evidence, such as scat or fur samples, necessary for definitive genetic confirmation. Some suggested the animal could potentially be a feral cat or a mainland leopard illegally transported to the island, though the latter is highly unlikely.
Current Scientific Classification and Future Search Efforts
Despite the controversial camera trap footage, the official status of the Zanzibar Leopard population remains unchanged due to the lack of repeated, verifiable observations. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) does not list the Zanzibar Leopard as a separate subspecies. Instead, the population is subsumed under the African Leopard (Panthera pardus pardus), which is listed as Vulnerable. For the Unguja population, the scientific consensus is that it is locally extinct or extirpated, as definitive proof of a viable breeding population is still missing.
Ongoing conservation responses focus on long-term, systematic surveys to resolve the mystery. These efforts include deploying extensive grids of camera traps across potential habitat areas, particularly within Jozani-Chwaka Bay National Park, the island’s only protected forest. Community engagement programs are also being implemented to shift local perceptions away from the historical demonization of the animal and encourage reporting of reliable sightings. While local reports continue to surface sporadically, the scientific position holds that without irrefutable biological evidence, the existence of the Zanzibar Leopard remains unverified.