The Zanzibar leopard was a distinct population of African leopard endemic to Unguja Island, the largest island within the Zanzibar archipelago off Tanzania’s coast. This unique island population evolved in isolation from mainland African leopards, a separation that occurred with rising sea levels after the Last Ice Age. This isolation led to specific adaptations, including a smaller body size and unique coat patterns with more densely packed, smaller spots compared to its continental relatives. As the island’s largest terrestrial carnivore, it was an apex predator within its ecosystem.
The Decline and Persecution
The Zanzibar leopard’s population declined due to escalating human-wildlife conflict throughout the 20th century. Rapid human population growth and the expansion of agricultural land led to encroachment on the leopard’s habitat and a reduction in its natural prey. This brought leopards into increasing contact with human settlements, where they were perceived as threats to livestock and villagers.
Local folklore contributed to the persecution, with a widespread belief that witches kept and trained leopards to harm or harass villagers and their animals. This cultural narrative fueled efforts to eliminate the animals. Following the 1964 Zanzibar Revolution, the newly independent government launched an island-wide extermination campaign, often led by a witchfinder named Kitanzi Mtaji Kitanzi. Leopards were officially classified as “vermin,” and state-subsidized hunting continued.
The Official Extinction Declaration
The Zanzibar leopard was deemed extinct due to the absence of confirmed sightings. The last confirmed sighting by scientists occurred in the early 1980s (1982 or 1986). By the mid-1990s, the scientific community and major conservation organizations considered the Zanzibar leopard extinct.
Conservation efforts were abandoned by 1997, as researchers found no verifiable evidence of the species’ continued existence. The disappearance of the Zanzibar leopard was not a single, abrupt event but rather a gradual process resulting from decades of intense persecution and habitat loss. While the Tanzanian government officially declared its extinction in 2015, the scientific consensus was established earlier, by the mid-1990s. The species is not listed separately on the IUCN Red List but is subsumed under the broader African leopard classification.
Post-Extinction Sightings and Scientific Review
Despite the official classification, unconfirmed sightings of the Zanzibar leopard have continued to emerge from local islanders, sometimes linked to livestock predation. Public interest surged in 2018 following camera trap footage aired on the TV show “Extinct or Alive,” which purportedly showed a leopard on Unguja Island.
The scientific community has responded with caution to these claims. Such sightings are often attributed to misidentification, such as feral cats or common African leopards introduced from the mainland. The footage lacked the clarity to definitively identify the animal as a Zanzibar leopard, particularly its distinct rosette patterns. Despite these isolated reports and persistent local beliefs, no conclusive scientific evidence has emerged to confirm the existence of the Zanzibar leopard. It remains officially classified as extinct, underscoring the challenges of confirming the presence of elusive species in the wild.