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Big cat conservationists in Zambia say leopard numbers are rebounding thanks in part to local communities swapping real furs for synthetic in traditional ceremonies.
Leopards are revered by cultural and religious groups which use their prized pelts as ceremonial regalia.
In western Zambia, during an annual event marking the onset of the flood season, 200 paddlers ferry the king of the Lozi people, the Litunga, on a barge. They wear skirts fashioned largely from leopard skins, and demand for the striking outfits is believed to have been one of the drivers of leopard poaching.
