Sanbona provides safe haven for leopard in the Western Cape.

- 18 May 2009

The leopard (Panthera pardus) is a key stone species in the Cape Province. Sanbona Wildlife Reserve which is 54 000 hectares in extent, has over the past decade provided a safe haven for leopard which are still heavily persecuted outside protected areas despite being a protected species.

Sanbona's leopard research project has identified a number of different individuals over the past couple of years. Some of these leopards are becoming more comfortable with our presence and it is therefore important to work together with neighbouring landowners to ensure the safety of these magnificent animals should the cross reserve boundaries.

The leopard project has been intensified in 2009 in order to find out more about their ecology within the Succulent Karoo, a Global Biodiversity Hotspot. Extra camera traps have been deployed to assist with leopard identification and movement, some examples are the accompanied photographs taken this month on Sanbona. GPS collars will be fitted to a couple of individuals to assess the extent of their home ranges. This research is conducted as an official academic study through Rhodes University.