Research synthesis: leopard cat conservation status

This synthesis reviews the conservation standing of the leopard cat, broadly secure across its vast range thanks to adaptability and tolerance of human-modified habitats, while noting important exceptions. It weighs threats including habitat loss, the historical and ongoing skin trade, road mortality, disease and competition from domestic cats, and persecution, against the buffering effect of the species ecological flexibility. The review highlights vulnerable island and peripheral populations, some of which are highly threatened despite the species overall abundance, and the relevance of the mainland-Sunda taxonomic split. It frames priorities as protecting at-risk insular populations, curbing trade and snaring, managing domestic-cat interactions, and maintaining prey and cover in shared agricultural landscapes.