The Leopard’s Final Days
Sunday January 11th – Tuesday January 13th: The last days
After Saturday the collared leopard moved 10 km south towards Satara and rested near a culvert, he probably used the road for protection from other carnivores as he was heavily compromised.
He stayed on the side of the road during which time I monitored him closely. His condition deteriorated daily. On Tuesday he was at his worst condition, even in a number of disturbances including the rain, he just slept on the same spot without moving. He looked so bad that I had difficulties looking at him.
The veterinary scientists came later that afternoon to euthanize the leopard and took him back to Skukuza. There was no struggle!
Wednesday January the 14th: Post-mortem
The post-mortem on that morning suggested that the porcupine quills led to his rapid decline in condition combined with septicaemia from the quill-inflicted injuries.
A tip of one of the quills was still stuck deep into his forehead, and in addition he had several tips spread across his neck, chest, front legs and hind legs. One of the quills, the one that dealt him the most severe blow, penetrated the chest cavity and in the process collapsed the lungs. One of the lungs had a lesion, which is suspected to be of the tuberculosis family, but still has to undergo further tests. The liver also looked like it had some kind of viral hepatitis, which also needs follow-up tests. The kidneys had numerous small lesions, suggesting that they did not function properly.
All these suggested that the leopard was old and had multiple infections. I asked if the collar might have added to the leopard’s condition, but the vets said that the collar was not a problem.
Now we cannot say with confidence whether he was still in his territory or was kicked out by a younger stronger competitor. He was more than 30 km away from what we thought was his core area. This is a major set back to the project, but that is how life is here in the bush.
We take the good with the bad.
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January 16th, 2009 at 8:08 am
So sorry to hear about the leopard. At least it was a graceful exit for such a majestic hunter. Good luck with finding new study material and keep us updated when you do.
Unfortunately we can not predict or interfere with life in the wild, but we need more people like you to study and conserve our wildlife. Work well done!
January 18th, 2009 at 5:40 pm
Nakedi,
I have followed this saga with intense interest and am very sad for the loss of this wonderful predator and for the loss of this study animal to your work. When we were in the field together we chatted about the 2 steps forward and 1 step backwards that research like this may take, and this is certainly one of those steps backwards. I wonder if your friend Shivani who is studying collared lions has experienced this type of setback? Another thought I have is whether you caught this leopard in the first place because he was deteriorating in health and threw caution to the wind for the easy meal you presented him in the trap.
Are you preparing the trap to capture and collar another in your study area? Also, don’t forget to dance and throw a few hoops.
January 20th, 2009 at 3:47 pm
Thank you for your comment Toinette. I will keep you updated on the progress of the project.
Nakedi
January 20th, 2009 at 4:01 pm
Greetings Babu,
Thank you for your insightful comments. It is true what you say about the leopard taking advantage of the easy meal, but i think any leopard given a chance regardless of health would make an attempt. The relatively young male that we caught five weeks ago is a very successful hunter (even with the snare on his neck). Prior to being captured he killed a young water buck less than a kilometer from where we captured him.
In the next weeks I will give trapping another shot. I will keep you updated on the developments.
Kind regards and best wishes for 2009.
Nakedi
January 31st, 2009 at 8:58 pm
I’m so sorry to hear about this loss. My sincere condolences