Cape Leopard spotted in Stellenbosch!

[slabs]

Not quite in town, but at Tokara on Helshoogte. Picture was taken by a motion camera in one of their vineyards.

 

What a great country for MTBing!!!

[r0adrunner]

Awesome!!!

[DJR]

Wonderful.

 

I occasionaly see Leopard spoor in theDu Toits kloof mountains where I fish and once I found their tracks on top of my own cycle tracks in the Groot Winterhoek mountains.

 

We spotted a Caracal in lower Tokai last week and a Grysbok in upper Tokai a month or 2 ago and hear the fish eagle regularly.

 

Sighting wildlife around our cities and towns is always special.

 

(The number of motion activated cameras in nature conservation areas have increased dramatically in the last year or so. That also means that they capture mtbikers riding illegal trails. SANParks have used this evidence devestatingly to block requests for more paths to ride. Beware, if you ride where you aren't supposed to, your picture may be the next one and you won't be nearly as cool as a leopard.)

[Bike Lore]

Cape Leopard Trust, http://capeleopard.org.za/

 

 

Boland leopards

Since the inception of the project, we have managed to photograph over 50 adult and sub-adult leopards in the area stretching from Bain's Kloof southwards to the Kogelberg. Camera surveys are used to identify individual leopards. Each leopard is numbered in order of identification, and the number is preceded by the letter 'F' (female) or 'M' (male) as well as the letter 'B' to denote that the leopard was found in the Boland project area, e.g. BF3 is the third female leopard to have been identified in the Boland. Some of these leopards have been given their own non-scientific names as well. As each leopard has a unique spot pattern, a left and right hand photograph are needed in order to establish an identikit.

In addition, the presence of 24 other mammal species have been recorded, including African weasel, African wild cat, caracal, small- & large-spotted genet, Cape fox, aardwolf, baboon, Cape clawless otter, water mongoose, small & large grey mongoose, striped polecat, honey badger, porcupine, dassie, red rock rabbit, Cape & scrub hare, klipspringer, Cape grysbok, common duiker, grey rhebuck, and even bushbuck.

Camera surveys are still underway throughout the study area, to obtain seasonal variation for each area, and to continue with the project's objectives. Our data thusfar has provided valuable information the mammalian inhabitants of this region.

[Beer4Recovery]

Awesome! The Cape Leopard Trust do amazing work. They really need all our support - visit them here and see how you can help: http://capeleopard.org.za/

[Kranswurm]

Wonderful.The more data that is gathered with regard to these beautiful animals the more there chance of survival

[Baracuda]

I saw that leopard (or one of very much the same size) in Jonkershoek two years ago.

 

Riding by myself after work on a week day. Right up near the top at the waterfall above the 2nd contour. Came around a corner and it was just sitting there. So I stopped but by the time I stopped I was 2-3 meters away.

 

First thing that goes through your mind is "Cool !, a leapard". Once you stopped, it suddenly strikes you "juss that is a big leapard hey?" and then "Sh.t, if this thing attacks, ..."

 

Thankfully it just moved off down the hill through the fynbos but it was awesome to see.

[Beer4Recovery]

I saw that leopard (or one of very much the same size) in Jonkershoek two years ago.

 

Riding by myself after work on a week day. Right up near the top at the waterfall above the 2nd contour. Came around a corner and it was just sitting there. So I stopped but by the time I stopped I was 2-3 meters away.

 

First thing that goes through your mind is "Cool !, a leapard". Once you stopped, it suddenly strikes you "juss that is a big leapard hey?" and then "Sh.t, if this thing attacks, ..."

 

Thankfully it just moved off down the hill through the fynbos but it was awesome to see.

 

HAHAHA!! good one!