- Habitat loss and fragmentation: The destruction and fragmentation of natural habitats due to human activities such as logging, agriculture, and urbanization reduce the available space and resources for black leopards and disrupt their natural behaviors.
- Poaching: Black leopards are highly valued for their unique fur, leading to illegal hunting and poaching for their pelts. The demand for their fur in the fashion industry is a major driver of poaching, contributing to the decline of their populations.
- Human-wildlife conflict: As human settlements expand into leopard habitats, conflicts may arise due to the loss of prey, competition for resources, and attacks on livestock and humans. This can result in retaliatory killings or the removal of leopards to reduce conflict.
- Insufficient conservation measures: Lack of effective conservation strategies, inadequate protected areas, and limited resources for monitoring and anti-poaching efforts contribute to the vulnerability of black leopards and hinder their population recovery.
- Illegal wildlife trade: Black leopards are subject to illegal capture and trade for the pet trade or for use in traditional medicine, further contributing to their population decline.