Leopard Caught In Hermanus

For the first time, a leopard has been captured in the Hemel en Aarde Valley, Hermanus, and tagged and released for conservation research.

The capture, on Saturday, was instigated by the Landmark Foundation, an NGO dealing with conservation in Southern Africa – in a bid to provide detailed information of leopard movements and behaviour. Its director, Bool Smuts, said a farmer helped set and monitor a hi-tech trap as he believed the animal was responsible for livestock losses.

Smuts said this was the only known leopard in the area and was a breakthrough in facilitating the conservation of this species: “The foundation, farmer and CapeNature decided to capture it, place a GPS collar on it and track its subsequent movements. We were called when the (male) leopard was discovered in the trap and a veterinarian from Hermanus darted it before a GPS device was fitted.”

Smuts said apart from “superficial facial abrasions and contusions” the animal was in great condition and released back into the wild. He said the GPS data had already been obtained from the collar and shows the leopard moving in its natural range in the mountains.

The project has led to a leopard rescue, rehabilitation, release and research programme and has saved at least 40 from certain death. In the same period 38 leopards have died as a result of gin-traps, poisons and hunting.

Source: The Mecury