A video showing a Javan leopard (Panthera pardus melas) walking with a limp in the forest area of the Sanggabuana Mountains has gone viral on social media. The footage was recorded in Tegalwaru District, Karawang Regency, West Java. The animal, which is listed as endangered, appeared to be injured and in poor physical condition.
The video was captured by a camera trap installed by the Sanggabuana Conservation Foundation (SCF) as part of its wildlife monitoring programme. The footage shows the leopard limping on its front leg while moving through its natural habitat.
SCF Advisor and wildlife researcher Bernard Triwinarta Wahyu Wiryanta confirmed the authenticity of the video. He stated that the recording was obtained during long-term research conducted by the SCF ranger team in the Sanggabuana forest area.
Seven-Month Monitoring Operation
According to Bernard, the camera trap was part of a joint expedition involving SCF and the Indonesian Army. The operation aimed to survey the population and distribution of Javan leopards in the Sanggabuana Mountains.
“Based on the cameras we installed for seven months in the Sanggabuana forest with the Indonesian Army as part of the Sanggabuana Javan Leopard Expedition, to survey the population and distribution of Javan leopards in Sanggabuana,” Bernard said, as reported by Kompas.com.
The video shows the leopard with a visible wound on its front leg. The animal also appeared extremely thin, with a noticeably shrunken abdomen. SCF stated that the leopard’s physical condition raises serious concern for its survival in the wild.
Condition Raises Conservation Concerns
Bernard explained that the leopard’s weakened state could limit its ability to hunt. “Its physical condition is no longer conducive to hunting. This is extremely dangerous and life-threatening for the Javan leopard,” he said.
He added that the leopard may not have eaten for several days due to the injury. “If it isn’t found soon, we fear it will die in the forest or be taken by poachers,” Bernard said.
To locate the animal, SCF has coordinated with the West Java Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BBKSDA) Region IV Purwakarta and the Indonesian Army. A ground search was carried out in the forest following the discovery of the footage.
However, Bernard said the leopard has not yet been located. “At the very least, if it is found dead, the carcass must be secured for a necropsy and handed over to the BBKSDA to prevent it from being taken or sold,” he said.
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Case Reported to Authorities
The discovery has been formally reported to West Java Governor Dedi Mulyadi. Bernard stated that the governor responded strongly after receiving the report.
“The Governor is furious. On his instructions, we were asked to file an official report with the Karawang and Purwakarta Police Tipidter so that legal action can be taken against the poachers,” Bernard said.
SCF has since submitted a report to the Tegalwaru Police. Investigators from the Karawang Police’s Tipidter Unit are scheduled to inspect the camera trap locations that recorded suspected poaching activity in the Karawang and Purwakarta areas on Friday (23 January 2026).
The Javan leopard is a protected species under Indonesian law. Conservation groups have repeatedly warned that habitat fragmentation and illegal hunting continue to threaten the survival of the species in Java.
Photo : Conservation Foundation (SCF) via Kompas
