Next Steps for Leopard Collaring
After losing the collared leopard I spent the week moving cage traps to other areas in the hope of capturing two other leopards to collar for research. During that period I worked with some of the guys from Singita’s guiding department. This was a very good exercise as I could see how well those guys know their area; it was as if they knew each tree or grass at a personal level.
We successfully moved two cages on the first day and the last cage two days later due to the rain. The thing with setting traps is that we have to look for trees with big NO LION signs on them. These trees as you can imagine have to be almost impossible to climb and much worse, to place a cage trap on them. Sometimes we have to climb these trees in the process. So when it rains the bark becomes slippery making it a tricky business to climb.
I remember falling hard the other day after baiting one of the traps. Of course we use ladders, but on that fateful day I tried to see firsthand how they did it during the stone ages. NOT A SMART THING TO DO!!
I will start baiting traps in a few days time and hopefully we will have a successful run and capture two leopards next week. The picture below illustrates how high some of the cages have to be placed.
Leopard trap high in a tree.
Help us ensure that the wildlife and wild lands of Africa will endure forever with your monthly donation.
January 27th, 2009 at 4:20 pm
Wow that is quite high. Looks like you’ve got a leopard in there too. Sorry about the collared leopard that you lost. You guys do great work for the preservation of our wilderness. All the best to you
January 29th, 2009 at 3:09 pm
Very good and valuable work for conservation leopard – I am very interest in great cats and your project is amazing, but there is too little projects focus on wild dogs and jackals. Big cats are often protect and research, the small golden and black-backed jackals are little know, and threat by lost of habitat. Wild dogs are endangered, and are the rarest canivore of Africa.
This must change in future!!!!!!
January 30th, 2009 at 3:03 pm
Sorry to learn that the leopard was euthanised. I appreciate that final step in order for him to just slip over instead of being attacked and killed by another predator and facing a miserable final fight he was to lose anyway..
it’s so amazing what you guys are doing! I admire people who try to make a difference when it comes to these marvelous predators.
I would wish many more humans would comprehend how important it is to save each and every individual of the big cats which are in danger of being extinct one day due to constant habitat and gene pool shrinkage.
I wish you well and I am looking forward to reading more of your reports.
Take care!
Irma
January 31st, 2009 at 4:38 am
Nakedi
Hi
Great to see your field work is being so ably assisted by experienced supporters. Although the death of the collared leopard per se is a sad event, it has opened up more understanding and that is the way of science. I was particularly interested in the suspect lung condition found by the vet staff on post mortem – it will be so sad if the leopard population in Kruger which is such a tourism draw card, begins to suffer a decline because of bovine TB. Lets hope the most frequent prey mammals of leopards are not as infected as that of lions’ most common prey!
On 22 December 2008 I had to go from Satara Camp into Hoedspruit for a vehicle repair and there was at 09h15 in the morning a huge male leopard resting near the tar road about five kms in from Orpen gate and he was still close to the road within 100 meters of the same spot when I made my way back to Satara at 14h30 – having apparently remained in full view of many cars in quite open country on a blisteringly hot day which I found unusual as there was no sign of a prey carcass nearby or any other obvious reason why the cat would stay so long in the same location in that heat! The animal looked very healthy indeed and I hope was not also beginning to suffer some ill health that made it remain so visible and in the same location for so long!
If you would like some photos of this animal let me know and I will send them to you if you let me know your e-mail address?
John Davison
Wildlife Experiences
Pinetown South Africa
February 3rd, 2009 at 2:13 pm
Greetings Of Cats,
Thank you for your comment.
Nakedi
February 3rd, 2009 at 2:15 pm
Dear Thomas,
Thank you for your valuable comment. This current study indirectly attempts to answer some questions relating to black backed jackals. There are numerous studies that focus on wild dogs and other small carnivores. I know of more than three wild dog projects that are currently running in South Africa alone. Incidentally, the African Wildlife Foundation is supporting a wild dog project, aimed at reducing the threats that these dogs face in Kenya’s region of Laikipia. There is also a study that has just been concluded on the African wild cat in South Africa’s Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park.
Kind regards,
Nakedi
February 3rd, 2009 at 2:15 pm
Greetings Irma,
Thanks for your comment.
February 3rd, 2009 at 2:16 pm
Hi John
Thank you for your comment. That is a very peculiar behaviour indeed. I have never heard of such behaviour in leopards. It would be interesting to learn what other people think about it. Yes, I would very much like to see that picture please. I have been to your website and I’ll follow up from there.
Thanks again!
February 7th, 2009 at 8:58 am
Hey! I’m back from holidays and finally got a chance to check
out your blog. Looks great!
Ade and I will definately keep checking it out to see how
everything is going for you and the leopards. Still a shame
about the old collared leopard that we saw, but at least
she isn’t suffering anymore!
So sorry I couldn’t meet up when I was Kruger!
take care and good luck with the new collar!:)
Kari