Residents of Kutamandarakan Village, Maleber District, Kuningan Regency, West Java, were startled on Tuesday, 27 August 2025, when a leopard was discovered inside the village hall.
The sudden appearance of the wild animal caused alarm among the community, many of whom had never seen a leopard so close to a residential area.
@kompascomSeekor macan tutul Jawa jantan masuk ke bekas kantor Balai Desa Kutamandarakan, Kabupaten Kuningan, Jawa Barat, dan sempat membuat geger warga, Selasa (26/8/2025) pagi. Tim gabungan berhasil mengevakuasi hewan dilindungi itu dengan pembiusan sesuai SOP sebelum dibawa ke Lembang Zoo untuk rehabilitasi. Kepala Balai Besar Konservasi Sumber Daya Alam (BBKSDA) Provinsi Jawa Barat Agus Arianto mengatakan, timnya belum bisa menyimpulkan penyebab macan tutul ini turun ke permukiman. “Soal turun ke permukiman, nanti kami akan lakukan kajian dalam. Kalau prediksi nanti ke mana-mana, yang pasti makannya, habitatnya, nanti kami korelasikan. Kalau di sini hutan terdekat sekitar 2-3 kilometer,” ujarnya. 🎥: IG @/bbksda_jabar @/pemadam_kuningan Penulis: Muhamad Syahri Romdhon, Eris Eka Jaya Kreatif: Nabilla Mutiara Produser: Reza Kurnia Darmawan + #MacanTutul #Macan #Kuningan #Peristiwa ##Read
Kutamandarakan Village Head, Ihak Sunardi, told Kompas.com that the incident was unprecedented.
“This was the first time a wild animal had entered a residential area in our village,” he explained, adding that the village is located at a considerable distance from the forest.
Following the discovery, the leopard was evacuated by local authorities and is now being prepared for release into the Gunung Ciremai National Park (TNGC).
Head of the West Java Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BBKSDA), Agus Arianto, confirmed that the animal is currently under care. “The leopard is currently undergoing rehabilitation and is being observed,” Agus told detikJabar.
He added that the response involved collaboration between different agencies.
“So now it is being handled jointly by the local government, the police there, and other conservation partners. We have rescued the leopard and will temporarily rehabilitate it, monitor its condition, and await plans for its release into the Gunung Ciremai National Park area, while conducting a habitat assessment. For now, we are prioritising the animal’s care,” Agus said on Wednesday (27 August 2025).
Expert Analysis of Leopard Behaviour
The appearance of the leopard in the middle of a residential area has raised questions among locals.
As reported by Detik, Senior Researcher of Biodiversity Conservation at the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), Professor Dr Ir. Hendra Gunawan, M.Si., explained that such incidents are linked to the natural instincts of leopards.
“Exploring is a basic behaviour and need of leopards. So it is not surprising that these wild animals enter residential areas,” Hendra told detikJabar on Thursday, 28 August 2025.
According to him, leopards often move beyond their core habitats for three main reasons: to search for food, to look for a mate, and to mark their territory.
“Leopards are a species of carnivore that are territorial, where males will defend their territory from other males. This territory is typically a private area for mating. Leopards usually mark their territory by spraying urine on tree trunks, leaving faeces in the middle of paths visible to other animals, or making scratches on trees,” Hendra explained.
He also underlined that this behaviour is especially common among younger males.
“Exploration behaviour is also carried out to find new habitats and territories, because the old habitats are already controlled by adult males who were there first. Young male leopards that have been weaned by their mothers usually search for new territories,” he said.
For the time being, the leopard remains under close observation. Conservation officers will continue monitoring its health while also conducting a habitat assessment in the Gunung Ciremai National Park to ensure that it can be released safely.
