African Leopard Project
The Problem; As one of the most adaptable cat species on the planet, leopards rarely attract much in the way of conservation concern, but that may be their undoing. In South Africa's KwaZulu-Natal province, leopards are protected in reserves but are fair game when they leave the park boundaries; it's legal for farmers to trap them or for trophy hunters to shoot them. Both forms of persecution occur at very high levels. As leopard populations become increasingly surrounded by farms and other human expansion, authorities are concerned about the number of leopards which are being killed. Reports of lactating females being hunted and of using baits to draw leopards across park boundaries demand urgent attention. If such practices are common, the future of even protected populations may be in jeopardy.
The Research. Project leader Dr Luke Hunter (Wildlife Conservation Society) is examining this question. Hunter has worked on large cats in KwaZulu-Natal since 1992, establishing methods for reintroducing lions and cheetahs to the region after they became extinct there decades ago. Together with the project's Field Coordinator Guy Balme, he has begun capturing leopards and fitting them with radio collars. Data are being collected on the daily movements of leopards and the risk to animals when they leave reserves. The survival of adults and of cubs will be established to determine how best to protect leopard populations surrounded by 'unsafe' areas. What is the minimum area required for the long-term persistence of a population and if hunting has to occur, how can it best be managed to ensure the species survives?
How to participate. We are offering a rare opportunity to join this research for paying participants. Each team will assist Balme and Hunter in capturing leopards to fit them with radio-collars and will monitor their movements and behavior by radio telemetry. Certain leopards in the study are habituated to vehicles, offering exceptional chances for prolonged observation and photography. Teams will deploy and monitor digital camera-traps to capture the movements of shy, transient leopards which are otherwise impossible to observe and will also participate in censuses and observation of other large predators including lions, spotted hyenas and cheetahs. Teams will comprise only two participants ensuring that the opportunities for real hands-on work are very high. They will be trained in the techniques of radio-tracking and can reasonably expect to locate radio-collared leopards daily during their stay. Participants will be instructed in data collection and will record information for the project on a wide variety of parameters. Observation of leopards is guaranteed, as is that of lions and cheetahs as well as a host of other species; elephants, white rhinos, giraffes, Burchell's zebras, blue wildebeest, many species of antelopes and so on.
The Cost. The cost for each 10 day expedition is US$2990. This does not include airfares to South Africa. It includes food and accommodation at the field site and transport from Johannesburg International Airport to the field site by light aircraft. The rest of your fee in its entirety is used to fund the research.
To inquire about Expedition dates or to reserve a place,
please contact Dr Luke Hunter (click here to email him). You can pay for your trip by credit card or bank charge on our secure Paypal online store.
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