Roan antelopes primarily graze grass, but will also browse shrubs and herbs. They are water-dependent.

Spending Time With the Collared Leopard

08 Mar 2009
2:18 PM UTC
By Nakedi

Posted in:
Leopards


Comments:
4 Comments »

The second leopard that we collared has started giving us some valuable data. We already know that there was a considerable amount of space overlap with the previous leopard that died from porcupine inflicted injuries. Unlike the other leopard however, this one seems to spend a considerable amount of time in the open. Up to now I have been lucky to see one of his kills, which was a porcupine.

He is oozing confidence and this can be seen with his movements in front of the car. Last week I spent about seven hours with him, which was a waste of precious time as I was hoping he would do something, but he just slept, and occasionally rolled on the grass to change sides; Lazy leopard!

The good thing is that he seems to be gaining his condition, is not limping anymore and enjoys an arboreal life once in a while. Thrice we found him sitting high in the trees.

Below are a series of photographs of him that I took yesterday.

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.

4 Responses to “Spending Time With the Collared Leopard”

  1. Babu Says:
    March 10th, 2009 at 6:30 pm

    Nakedi, these are wonderful pictures and although I believe you when you say he is an aging male, he looks strong. I empathise with him. Are you setting the traps to capture and collar more leopards in your study area?

  2. Nakedi Says:
    March 14th, 2009 at 6:42 am

    Greetings Babu,
    Thank you for your comment. At the moment we had to put the trapping on hold. Hopefully we will start again soon. I hope in the next two weeks we will try again.

    Thanks

  3. Mark Kelly Says:
    March 17th, 2009 at 12:17 pm

    Beautiful work. I will check your blog often. It’s very interesting to see updated information about the predators of Africa. Wish I was there.

  4. naz Says:
    January 20th, 2010 at 5:18 am

    Hi, nakedi, its amezing, outstanding, to here ur work on
    leopard collaring n exp. i really relish it as i am also working
    on ecology of leopard. i hope to get ur guidence. i’ll wait for ur
    responce. all the best.
    bye…….

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