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China has four sub-species of leopard throughout the country. One of them is the North China leopard (Panthera pardus japonensis, Gray, 1862) which experiences a wide range of threats. It remains at the centre of interest for recent research and new management policies within its natural habitat. Due to limited studies for a long time, its current distribution, and population size remain vague without accurate information. Using existing literature, we synthesized information on this endemic and endangered subspecies. We used research engines such as Google scholar, Baidu and China National Knowledge Internet (CNKI) to find any available literature about the sub-species. By reviewing 39 published documents, nine national and international web news, and asking questions to some specialists in leopard and wildlife managers; we have concluded that the species' current distribution has drastically changed, only 2 % of its historical distribution remains occupied by around 174-348 individuals. Extant patches are in continual danger as the Proximity Index previously found was small. Habitat fragmentation, retaliation, and decline in prey species are the main threats. However, there is hope for its survival, since the mega project launched in 2015 "Bring Leopards Home" and new management policies are being undertaken in protected areas that will annihilate or reduce threats. In addition, many researchers or governmental organisations are currently carrying out studies on this sub-species. These studies will fill information gaps on the North China leopard based on scientific evidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The nocturnal activities of predators and prey are influenced by several factors, including physiological adaptations, habitat quality and, we suspect, corresponds to changes in brightness of moonlight according to moon phase. In this study, we used a dataset from 102 camera traps to explore which factors are related to the activity pattern of North China leopards ( Panthera pardus japonensis ) in Shanxi Tieqiaoshan Provincial Nature Reserve (TPNR), China. We found that nocturnal activities of leopards were irregular during four different lunar phases, and while not strictly lunar philic or lunar phobic, their temporal activity was highest during the brighter moon phases (especially the last quarter) and lower during the new moon phase. On the contrary, roe deer ( Capreolus pygargus ) exhibited lunar philic activity, while wild boar ( Sus scrofa ) and tolai hare ( Lepus tolai ) were evidently lunar phobic, with high and low temporal activity during the full moon, respectively. In terms of temporal overlap, there was positive overlap between leopards and their prey species, including roe deer and tolai hare, while leopard activity did not dip to the same low level of wild boar during the full moon phase. Human activities also more influenced the temporal activity of leopards and wild boar than other species investigated. Generally, our results suggested that besides moonlight risk index (MRI), cloud cover and season have diverse effects on leopard and prey nocturnal activity. Finally, distinct daytime and nighttime habitats were identified, with leopards, wild boar, and tolai hare all using lower elevations at night and higher elevations during the day, while leopards and roe deer were closer to secondary roads during the day than at night., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (© 2022 The Authors. Ecology and Evolution published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Interspecific interactions of commensal non-native species such as domestic dogs and livestock with native wildlife are evident issues in protected areas (PAs). We studied spatiotemporal interactions by combining camera trap photographic sampling over three years. We used a generic multiseason occupancy and co-occurrence analysis and kernel density estimates of temporal activity. We accumulated a total of 1,305 and 1,557 independent photo-captures respectively for non-native and carnivore species during 26,216 trap nights. We found that non-native and carnivore species did not show substantial changes in occupancy rate over time. Yet both kinds of species were frequently detected. Carnivores had lower values of occupancy equilibrium than non-native species in seasons one and two. Domestic dogs directly occurred with native carnivores (except with leopards in season one), while the human and livestock presence displayed direct (Species Interaction Factors > 1) and indirect (Species Interaction Factors close to 1) co-occurrence, respectively, with the leopard and two mesocarnivores. The leopard cat was the least spatially influenced carnivore by the non-native species interactions. Furthermore, the leopard had higher temporal overlap (high Δ 4 ) with all non-native species than the leopard cat and red fox (low Δ 4 ). Our study exposes the negative impact of free-ranging non-native species across this protected area on native carnivore occupancy. An evaluation of the interconnections among non-native and carnivore species across diverse PA management regimes is crucial to develop robust landscape-scale conservation strategies.

The North China leopard ( Panthera pardus japonesis ) is a rare leopard subspecies distributed only in China. In this study, we conducted camera-trap surveys of a North China Leopard population in Tie Qiao Shan Nature Reserve, Shanxi Province, China. We estimated population abundance and density distribution, and explored the effects of distribution of different prey populations, habitat, and anthropogenic factors on the spatial distribution of North China leopard density. Our results suggested that the North China leopard density was 4.23 individuals/100 km 2 , and that 17.98 individuals might live within the study area. The population density of the North China leopard increased with the distribution of wild boars, and, on the contrary, decreased with the distribution of roe deer. We found that habitat environmental factors and anthropogenic interference also significantly affected the population density and spatial distribution of the North China leopard. These insights informed us that in order to protect this predator, which is only distributed in China, we should adopt a comprehensive customized adaptive landscape protection strategy.

Wildlife populations are spatially controlled and undergo frequent fluctuations in abundance and site occupation. A comprehensive understanding of dynamic species processes is essential for making appropriate wildlife management plans. Here, we used a multi-season model to describe the dynamics of occupancy estimates of the carnivores: North Chinese leopard ( Panthera pardus japonensis , Gray, 1862), leopard cat ( Prionailurus bengalensis , Kerr, 1792), and red fox ( Vulpes vulpes , Linnaeus, 1758) in the Tieqiaoshan Nature Reserve, Shanxi Province, China, over a three-year study period using camera traps data. The occupancy probability of the North Chinese leopard did not markedly change with time as the occupancy equilibrium was constant or slightly enhanced. The occupancy of the leopard cat decreased with time. The occupancy equilibrium of the red fox alternately increased and decreased. However, all species presented a slight level of occupancy stability due to their small values of the rate of change in occupancy. Environmental factor and anthropogenic disturbances slightly influenced the occupancy of all species and the colonization and extirpation probability of the red fox. The colonization and extirpation for all species were relatively more strongly affected by the distances to villages and roads. Moreover, elevation increased the colonization and decreased the extirpation for the leopard cat. Species interaction factors increased with time for all species. The North Chinese leopard and the leopard cat avoided each other. The leopard cat and the red fox independently co-occurred. There was true coexistence between the North Chinese leopard and the red fox. This research confirmed that environmental factors and human perturbations are vital factors to consider in wild carnivores' conservation and management.

Livestock depredation by large carnivores is a conventional human-wildlife conflict, both at the local and regional level. Many species of wildlife have become endangered because of this conflict. In this study, an investigation of livestock depredation was conducted for the north China leopard in and around Tieqiaoshan Provincial Nature Reserve in Shanxi Province between 2015 and 2018. Data were obtained from League Cat Forest Department records. Additionally, standardized, structured, and semi-structured questionnaires were used to collect data with the help of reserve field staff. The results show that there was a significant difference ( p = 0.015) in livestock depredation in various seasons of the year; the highest depredation was recorded in spring, followed by summer. A significant difference ( p = 0.02) was observed between cattle and other livestock species, showing that more cattle were killed by the north China leopard. Most of the livestock depredation occurred during late morning and evening, likely because the leopards are crepuscular. Residents in and around the reserve suffered a high economic loss, ranging between RMB 5000 and 10,000 (USD 706.76-1413.53) per year in terms of the estimated market price of the killed livestock. The attitudes of residents towards the north China leopard vary according to the economic activities of the locals, with about 76% of the livestock keepers reporting that the leopard is "very dangerous" and 8% of the arable farmers in and around the reserve indicating that leopard is "very dangerous." We recommend that a system with local participants would ensure more effective management of human-north China leopard conflict, as it would allow local communities to take greater responsibility., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest. The funders had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript, or in the decision to publish the results.