This week we rescued the 15th leopard in and around the Baviaanskloof since the Landmark Foundation project commenced in 2004. It was a large male leopard (for our area) of 38 kg. He was released back at the site of capture after collaring it with a GPS tracking device.
Research:
Our research programme is under the auspices of Rhodes University and which is analysing the data obtained from this leopard and the other 14 animals in the region to help establish information about the population densities, genetic vigour, distributions and ultimately the population viability of these elusive animals.
This individual leopard was trapped in one of our custom-made “live” traps that prevent injuries. The cat was released on site, and we are particularly excited by the fact that we already have 2 female leopards collared and tracked in the specific area. This will add a great deal to the information needed to understand how male and female leopards interact in the region. We anticipate breakthrough data from this animal.
Research:
Our research programme is under the auspices of Rhodes University and which is analysing the data obtained from this leopard and the other 14 animals in the region to help establish information about the population densities, genetic vigour, distributions and ultimately the population viability of these elusive animals.
This individual leopard was trapped in one of our custom-made “live” traps that prevent injuries. The cat was released on site, and we are particularly excited by the fact that we already have 2 female leopards collared and tracked in the specific area. This will add a great deal to the information needed to understand how male and female leopards interact in the region. We anticipate breakthrough data from this animal.
What is also now astonishing is that in the last 2 years 8 leopards have been trapped in the particular kloof concerned. 4 leopards we killed in the region prior to Landmark Foundation involvement in 2006, and since 2007 4 leopards have been “live-trapped” and uninjured in the same kloof. This does seem to challenge our understanding of leopards being solitary and dominant animals in their territories. Accepting that the preceding disturbance of population through the deaths of the first 4 animals may explain this issue, we are none the less amazed at the number of cats in a single area. The research will help shed light on these dynamics and the possibility of new theories and realities.
We have seen continued and increasing farmer support for our programme. We have to give credit to the farmers of the Baviaanskloof valley near Willowmore particularly, who have as a collective (40 000ha) converted their operations to holistic predator management in partnership with us.
Furthermore the Rhodes University research team will also investigate a further “conventional wisdom” propagated by some academics of the fact that leopard translocation are not successful and should be avoided. The Landmark Foundation has relocated 6 leopards to the Addo National Park since 2004. These cats were to be killed on the insistence of the involved farmers from where they were captured (one was shot and injured, 4 were rescued from barbaric gin traps – one cat was rescued twice from a gin trap-, one was saved from a cable snare and one was captured unharmed by our live traps). We wish to reiterate that we would prefer to release the animals at the site of their capture, and relocation to local areas only takes place if the farmers cannot be convinced to keep the cat, the conservation authorities are in agreement and the location of release has capacity to re-release these animals in the new areas. Academic “folklore” suggests that this would result in animals tracking back to their original areas, and causing great disturbance in the areas of their new release, the facts around the 6 successful releases in Addo does not supports such folklore. In fact, our work has demonstrated a resounding success of our programme and the local translocation as in this case. Rhodes University, through their research, will present these facts for peer-reviewed scrutiny.
Farmer Support:
We have seen continued and increasing farmer support for our programme. We have to give credit to the farmers of the Baviaanskloof valley near Willowmore particularly, who have as a collective (40 000ha) converted their operations to holistic predator management in partnership with us. We are collaborating with a further 40 000 – 50 000 ha of landholding adjacent to the Baviaanskloof Reserve. With the rescue of the 15 leopards over the last few years we are certain that significant progress has been achieved with the conservation of these animals. All 15 cats rescued would almost certainly previously been killed through the use of gin traps and indiscriminate hunting dog packs, adding to the 24 leopards that have been killed in the region this would have amounted to 39 leopard incidents that we know of in the relatively small region and short time (and that is only the cases we know of). The fact that we can now report on the 15th successful rescue is indeed great progress. We salute the farmers of the Baviaanskloof that are leading the way!
The meat you buy may use such production practices!!!!
Gin Traps - Photo: R Harrison White
Download pdf of this newsletter
We have seen continued and increasing farmer support for our programme. We have to give credit to the farmers of the Baviaanskloof valley near Willowmore particularly, who have as a collective (40 000ha) converted their operations to holistic predator management in partnership with us.
Furthermore the Rhodes University research team will also investigate a further “conventional wisdom” propagated by some academics of the fact that leopard translocation are not successful and should be avoided. The Landmark Foundation has relocated 6 leopards to the Addo National Park since 2004. These cats were to be killed on the insistence of the involved farmers from where they were captured (one was shot and injured, 4 were rescued from barbaric gin traps – one cat was rescued twice from a gin trap-, one was saved from a cable snare and one was captured unharmed by our live traps). We wish to reiterate that we would prefer to release the animals at the site of their capture, and relocation to local areas only takes place if the farmers cannot be convinced to keep the cat, the conservation authorities are in agreement and the location of release has capacity to re-release these animals in the new areas. Academic “folklore” suggests that this would result in animals tracking back to their original areas, and causing great disturbance in the areas of their new release, the facts around the 6 successful releases in Addo does not supports such folklore. In fact, our work has demonstrated a resounding success of our programme and the local translocation as in this case. Rhodes University, through their research, will present these facts for peer-reviewed scrutiny.
Farmer Support:
We have seen continued and increasing farmer support for our programme. We have to give credit to the farmers of the Baviaanskloof valley near Willowmore particularly, who have as a collective (40 000ha) converted their operations to holistic predator management in partnership with us. We are collaborating with a further 40 000 – 50 000 ha of landholding adjacent to the Baviaanskloof Reserve. With the rescue of the 15 leopards over the last few years we are certain that significant progress has been achieved with the conservation of these animals. All 15 cats rescued would almost certainly previously been killed through the use of gin traps and indiscriminate hunting dog packs, adding to the 24 leopards that have been killed in the region this would have amounted to 39 leopard incidents that we know of in the relatively small region and short time (and that is only the cases we know of). The fact that we can now report on the 15th successful rescue is indeed great progress. We salute the farmers of the Baviaanskloof that are leading the way!
The meat you buy may use such production practices!!!!
Gin Traps - Photo: R Harrison White
Download pdf of this newsletter
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