The Cape Leopard Trust has been in operation since 2004 and the incredible determination and persistence of Quinton Martins and a varied team of specialists and volunteers have enabled this project to grow from strength to strength. The Cape Leopard Trust is based in the Cederberg Mountains in the Cape, has projects in the Gouritz Corridor and Namaquland and will now be extending its range to include that of the Boland Mountains surrounding Cape Town (Limietsburg, Koggelberg, Hottentots Holland and Groot Winterhoek Mountains). Cape Nature will be aiding the project as the CLT begins to place camera traps around the mountains to see how many leopards there are.

Quinton says Cape leopards are very hard too see as they are very shy. Most farmers living in areas where leopards exist have never encountered one in the wild before. Leopards are easily anthropomorphized yet this anthropomorphism can serve to educate about the environment as a whole. Magnificent, elusive, majestic are adjectives easily associated to Mother Nature and the leopard embodies them. There are four aspects to the Cape Leopard Trusts work: conservation, research, education, and tourism. The surrounding community is a natural benefactor from all these endeavours. Quinton’s wife, Elizabeth runs the children’s wilderness programme.

The Cape Leopard weighs half that of the leopards found in the more northern bush regions and work conducted by the CLT suggest that genetic differences may also exist. Closure on the genetic status of the Cape leopards is expected at the end of this year. Leopards have large home ranges which are generally exclusive. Home ranges of up to 1000km2 for a male suggest removal of leopards due to farmer predator conflict and results in serious ecological repercussions.

It is clear from the CLT work conducted to-date that killing or relocating leopards perpetuates farmer problems, possibly making it worse. These studies have included using modern tracking technology such as GPS collars. Once a leopard is fitted with a GPS collar they can study the range and activity of each animal. The conditions in the Cederberg are extreme so one can only imagine how dexterous and clever they have to be to survive in these regions.

Each collar costs between R30k & R40k and is imported from Germany. I remember walking with Quinton in the Cederberg, soon after the project began and how we stalked through the mountains for over five hours until we got to the trap that was set. It was empty but he had a trick to get the leopards interested in the cage and that was to spray a particular brand of male eau de cologne onto it. It worked like a charm and Houdini, an adult male leopard, was soon collared and tracked. Before the GPS systems Quinton walked and walked and walked to track these exquisite creatures and now it seems other animals are also coming to the party – so to speak. Leopards are captured beautifully on film but so are several other fabulously elusive creatures, from honey badgers and porcupines to caracals, aardwolf and even a fish eagle in full hunting swoop.

Hilariously the baboons have been caught staring straight into the camera and after finding no-one responding giving it a good whack. You can be a citizen scientist and contribute to the project. To assist will help continue the financing of this endeavour that was born out of one man’s passion and vision to protect and study the animals he lives and breathes with on a daily basis. Visit www.capeleopard.org