Benin’s West African leopards were expected to decline. Instead, their density tripled

West African leopards in Benin’s Pendjari National Park appeared likely to become another bleak example of species decline. Instead, researchers found measurable signs of recovery in one of the region’s most threatened big-cat populations.

What happened?

Mongabay reported that a study published in the journal Global Ecology and Conservation found leopard density in Pendjari rose between 2017 and 2023, from 0.62 to 2.08 animals per 38.6 square miles (100 square kilometers).

Only an estimated 354 West African leopards remain across the region, and the population is considered regionally endangered. That makes Pendjari, in northern Benin, one of the few key refuges for this distinct leopard population.

Study lead author Marine Drouilly, a biologist with Panthera, told Mongabay: “It’s a win. … Even if it’s only a slight increase and the [leopard] density remains relatively low [compared with Southern Africa] … It’s significant. We were very, very happy.”

Since 2017, Pendjari National Park has been jointly managed by African Parks and the government of Benin. Long-term camera-trap surveys allowed researchers to identify 30 leopards through their spot patterns, Mongabay reported.

Why does it matter?

Pendjari is part of the sprawling W-Arly-Pendjari Complex, a crucial refuge for leopards, lions, elephants, and cheetahs. But the area is also increasingly affected by non-state armed groups operating in the Sahel.

For conservation work, that insecurity makes conditions both harder and more dangerous.

Hugues Akpona, regional operations manager for West Africa at African Parks and a study co-author, told Mongabay, “Insecurity today represents not only a direct threat, but also a structural factor that weakens the overall conservation system and reduces the effectiveness of management strategies that are normally applied under stable conditions.”

The improvement appears to be linked to a combination of ranger presence, anti-poaching work, habitat restoration, water management, and efforts to rebuild prey populations.

What are people saying?

For leopards, which have been declining across much of Africa and Asia, experts have said the results are a rare piece of hopeful news.

Andrew Stein, founder and director of CLAWS Conservancy, who was not involved in the study, called the results “really exciting” for leopards in a high-risk region, according to Mongabay.

He added: “One of the things with leopards is that you give them a chance, you give them a little bit of space, and if there’s wild prey available, they can come back, just as this paper suggests.”

Drouilly said the findings point to the value of staying in the field and protecting wildlife over time.

“If you continue to stay on the ground and you continue to protect those species, you can have positive outcomes,” she told Mongabay, adding that the work is “also providing livelihoods and stability in these regions for the people.”

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