Elephants are fascinated by the remains of their dead. They will often examine the remaining bones and tusks.

Leopard Sightings in the Kruger

28 Aug 2009
4:59 PM UTC
By Nakedi

Posted in:
Leopards


Comments:
5 Comments »

I wanted to give you a quick update while Nakedi is away: after a long time of not finding any leopards, and getting very discouraged, I was thrilled recently to get some great data on the leopards that use the concesson. A few of the camera traps at different times captured three different leopards–two males and a female. After encountering only tracks for the longest time, and wondering whether even these were just tricks of the eye, it was a great relief to see lepoards alive and well for the purposes of the project. The elephants of Kruger, though, are not so great for the project. They recently damaged two cameras beyond repair, and now we will have to find funds to buy more. Although we have succeeded in protecting the cameras from hyenas, we just haven’t yet been able to protect them from the big guy. We’ll just have to keep experimenting.

Nakedi is doing well at Oxford but is eager to get back to his leopards—I’ll try to see if he can give us an update soon on what it’s like to be out of the field for so long. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy this photo of surely the most beautiful of the three leopards photographed recently.

Best looking of the three leopards recently sighted. © AWF

Winner -- best looking. © AWF

Nakedi
Author: Nakedi
Nakedi W. Maputla has just finished a Master’s Degree on the systematics of pouched mice, Saccostomus campestris from southern Africa with the Department of Zoology and Entomology at the University of Pretoria. From February 2005 to September 2007 he worked at TuksSport Combined School in Pretoria where he was a Life Sciences, Natural Sciences, Technology and Physiology educator. He joined African Wildlife Foundation as a leopard researcher at the beginning of October 2007.

5 Responses to “Leopard Sightings in the Kruger”

  1. Nnditsheni Says:
    August 31st, 2009 at 7:39 am

    You seem to be enjoying the project that you are running. I hope that you get funds quickly so that you are able to continue doing the good job.

    I have been to the Kruger National Park several times, but I never manged to see even a single Leopard. Now I know that Leopards are there in the park. Maybe I should visit again, i might be lucky…….Keep up doing the good work.

  2. Amos Mathebula(Singita Lebombo Says:
    October 8th, 2009 at 8:44 am

    So sorry to hear about the elephant-cameras war. It just shows how far the kings would go to show their dominance. The project seems challenging but hands up for you guys, I wish I had your patience!!

    Thanks
    Amos

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    November 3rd, 2009 at 2:43 pm

    I LOVE THIS

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    December 25th, 2009 at 12:14 pm

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