"THE ZANZIBAR LEOPARD" ON ANIMAL PLANET

Helle checking a camera trap in Jozani Forest

The quest for the Zanzibar leopard is the running theme of the premiere of the Animal Planet infotainment series, “Extinct or Alive", which airs in the US on Sunday, 10 June. We participated in the production of this extended episode by providing background material about leopards and other wildlife on the island, as well as the island’s history and culture. Travelling to Zanzibar a week in advance of the film crew, we scouted filming locations, lined up interviews, liaised with local forestry staff, and obtained access to recent photographs of alleged leopard pugmarks and leopard kills (eviscerated goats).

Martin setting a camera trap in Jozani Forest

In addition, we deployed 10 camera traps in various locations, getting excellent video footage of some of Zanzibar’s small carnivores in the wild: the Zanzibar servaline genet (Genetta servalina archeri), the African palm civet (Nandinia binotata), and the Zanzibar bushy-tailed mongoose (Bdeogale crassicauda tenuis). To our knowledge, none of these has been filmed on Unguja island before, so this was exciting.

Other wildlife that we filmed with the camera traps included Zanzibar Sykes monkey (Cercopithicus mitis albogularis), greater galago (Otolemur garnettii garnettii), the Zanzibar subspecies of the Tanzania dwarf coast galago (Galagoides zanzibaricus zanzibaricus), red bush squirrel (Paraxerus palliatus frerei), northern giant pouched rat (Cricetomys gambianus cosensi), Zanzibar four-toed sengi (Petrodromus tetradactylus zanzibaricus) and black and rufous sengi (Rhynchocyon petersi).

Towards the end of our work in Jozani-Chwaka Bay National Park, we also engaged in an imaginary leopard chase of the kind that we've described in earlier publications (see the references below). As we might have expected, this came to nought, and we left with nothing to pique the interest of the producers and film crew. They did, however, use footage of an interview with us and many clips of the other animals that we had camera-trapped, including superb daytime (and therefore colour) video shots of a servaline genet. 

In the absence of verified evidence, like most authorities we now presume the Zanzibar leopard to have been extirpated, despite tantalising reports and claims to the contrary. But this shouldn't stop people from enjoying Animal Planet's expertly crafted and highly entertaining narrative.

References

Walsh, Martin & Helle Goldman 2017. Chasing imaginary leopards: science, witchcraft and the politics of conservation in Zanzibar. In Iain Walker (ed.) Contemporary Issues in Swahili Ethnography. Abingdon & New York: Routledge. 99-118. [originally published in 2012 in Journal of Eastern African Studies 6 (4): 727-746. DOI: 10.1080/17531055.2012.729778]

Walsh, Martin & Helle Goldman 2017. Cryptids and credulity: the Zanzibar leopard and other imaginary beings. In Samantha Hurn (ed.) Anthropology and Cryptozoology: Exploring Encounters with Mysterious Creatures. Abingdon & New York: Routledge. 54-90. DOI: 10.4324/9781315567297-11.