Global
LEOPARD
Conference
2027
10 – 13 May 2027
The conference is hosted by the Arabian Leopard Fund, the Cape Leopard Trust, the Endangered Wildlife Trust, Leopard Ecology and Conservation, Panthera, the Persian Leopard Working Group, Royal Commission for AlUla, WildCRU, Wilderness & Wildlife Conservation Trust, and the ZSL WildCats Conservation Alliance.
Join us at the 2027 Global Leopard Conference to connect with and learn from researchers, conservationists, advocates and organisations dedicated to protecting all subspecies of leopard across the globe.
The inaugural Global Leopard Conference in 2023 marked a major milestone for the leopard conservation community, bringing together more than 300 delegates from 59 countries and featuring over 100 presentations from across the leopard’s range. The conference created an unprecedented platform for researchers, conservation practitioners, policymakers and stakeholders to share knowledge, strengthen networks and identify common challenges and opportunities for leopard conservation.
Building on this momentum, the 2027 Global Leopard Conference will once again unite the international leopard community to share cutting-edge research, exchange practical conservation solutions, and strengthen cross-border and interdisciplinary collaborations across the species’ global range.
Leopards are among the most adaptable of the big cats. Yet, despite their resilience, global populations are declining largely due to habitat loss and human activities. Because many of the threats to leopard survival persist across the more than 60 countries where leopards exist, the Global Leopard Conference seeks collaborative, innovative solutions to secure the long-term survival of this ecologically vital umbrella species.
Date:
Monday, 10 May 2027
to
Thursday, 13 May 2027
Venue:
Virtual / Online – Zoom (links to be provided)
Access the conference on:
OUR VISION:
To unite organisations and individuals researching, observing, appreciating and conserving the eight subspecies of leopard across the globe.
One species. A global range. Shared conservation challenges
IMPORTANT DATES
- Submission Portal Opens: Monday, 02 November 2026
- Submission Deadline: Friday, 22 January 2027 (23H59 | GMT+2)
- Review Outcome & Invitations Distributed: Friday, 26 February 2027
- Conference Registration Opens: Tuesday, 01 December 2026
- Early Bird Registration Closes: Wednesday, 17 March 2027
- Conference Programme Distributed: Wednesday, 07 April 2027
Submission Portal
Coming soon
Conference Registration
Coming soon
Overview of the conference
Leopards (Panthera pardus) are listed as Vulnerable by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) with some subspecies classified as Critically Endangered.
They occupy a myriad of habitats including deserts, forests, savannah, alpine areas, and even in proximity to highly populated urban centres. Habitat loss and fragmentation has resulted in a range loss of 63 – 75%.
Other key threats include prey depletion, conflict with people, unsustainable trophy hunting and poaching for body parts and skins.
It’s vital that we work together to prevent further pressure on the species.
Leopards now occupy only an estimated 25–37% of their historic range.
(Jacobson et al. 2016)
An Inclusive International Conference
The first three days of the 2027 Global Leopard Conference will explore key themes in leopard ecology, conservation and management, including advances in technology and monitoring, human-leopard coexistence, and policy and trade.
Topics will include leopard population status, behaviour, diet and disease; transboundary conservation; human-leopard conflict and mitigation; the use of GPS collars, camera traps and other technologies for monitoring; education and awareness; and national and international policy and management frameworks, including sustainable use and hunting.
The fourth day of the 2027 conference will be dedicated to interactive workshops, skills development and practical tools to empower practitioners in the field.
This inclusive international conference is aimed at students, academics, scientists, conservation organisations, media representatives, wildlife managers, artists and leopard aficionados.
Why Leopard
Leopards hold immense value across cultural traditions, local economies and ecological systems. Revered across cultures, these iconic big cats are also primary drivers of eco-tourism, generating crucial revenue for local communities and conservation efforts worldwide. Ecologically, as apex predators and umbrella species, leopards maintain balanced ecosystems by regulating herbivore populations and protecting biodiversity across their vast habitats.
Their range has been reduced by agricultural expansion and deforestation, poaching and the illegal trade, prey depletion caused by, amongst others, over-hunting, and human-wildlife conflict. Mitigating these threats requires a coordinated global effort to ease the pressure on surviving populations.
Although leopard (Panthera pardus) is listed as Vulnerable, conservation status varies acutely by region. Subspecies such as the Arabian and Amur leopards are Critically Endangered, while others like the Sri Lankan and Javan leopards are Endangered.
Recognising that the majority of subspecies are threatened with extinction, all leopards are protected under the Convention on the International Trade of Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) Appendix I, prohibiting commercial international trade in wild specimens.
The eight subspecies of leopard (Panthera pardus):
- Panthera pardus pardus (Linnaeus, 1758): Africa
- Panthera pardus tulliana (Valenciennes, 1856; 1039): Turkey, Caucasus, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan
- Panthera pardus fusca (Meyer, 1794): Indian subcontinent, Myanmar and China
- Panthera pardus kotiya (Deraniyagala, 1949): Sri Lanka
- Panthera pardus delacouri (Pocock, 1930b): South-east Asia and probably southern China
- Panthera pardus orientalis (Schlegel, 1857) including japonensis: Eastern Asia from Russan Far East to China
- Panthera pardus melas (Cuvier, 1809; 152): Java
- Panthera pardus nimr (Hemprich and Ehrenberg, 1832): Arabian Peninsula
(Kitchener et al. 2017)
HOSTED BY:
The Arabian Leopard Fund, the Cape Leopard Trust, the Endangered Wildlife Trust, Leopard Ecology and Conservation, Panthera, the Persian Leopard Working Group, Royal Commission for AlUla, WildCRU, Wilderness & Wildlife Conservation Trust, and the ZSL WildCats Conservation Alliance.