Spotting the Cape’s Ghost Cats with Camera Traps
In the Western Cape of South Africa, camera traps hidden amongst endemic fynbos vegetation and rugged mountain slopes snap into action in response to the subtle movements of an elusive predator – none other than the leopard. The region was once home to the Big 5, but human activities over centuries have taken their toll, and all but the leopard has since been extirpated from the Cape’s mountains and valleys. Leopards are remarkably adaptable, but they still face multiple threats, including habitat loss and fragmentation, direct persecution, and prey base depletion.
The Cape Leopard Trust (CLT), a Conservation Allies supported NGO, monitors these leopard populations through large-scale surveys consisting of up to 100 camera trap stations, set up across suitable habitats. Statistical analyses of camera trap data indicate that, in comparison to other parts of South Africa, leopards in the Cape region occur at very low densities. Research results also drive the development of the CLT’s conservation initiatives and dynamic environmental education program. Camera trap photos, coupled with improved knowledge and access to conflict mitigation tools, can change people’s perceptions of wildlife and empower landowners to become stewards of biodiversity, transforming leopards from enemies to allies in farmers’ eyes. Communities lie at the heart of successful conservation and the CLT prioritizes community inclusion and communication in the camera trap surveys and associated initiatives.
Between mid-May and the end of September 2024, the CLT led a leopard population survey in the largely agricultural landscape of the greater Piketberg and Olifantsrivier Mountains region. The CLT team worked diligently through the over 150,000 camera trap images with assistance from species recognition software. More than 25 mammal species were detected, and leopards were photographed at 75% of camera trap stations. An updated leopard density estimate will be compared to the previous estimate from a 2020 survey shortly. By repeating camera trap surveys at regular intervals, leopard population trends are established, and relevant conservation interventions can be applied in a timely manner when required. Alongside the research, the CLT fostered relationships with the 58 private landowners directly involved in the survey, and through informal discussions also provided guidance to mitigate livestock lost to predators. The camera trap survey area also tied in with a long-term project to link core habitats through the identification and protection of leopard movement corridors, ensuring that landowner relationships will continue to be nurtured into the future.