Endangered Cape Leopard roams BWI Champion estate
© Lourensford Estate
A pregnant Juliet wonders pass one of the cameras set up on Lourensford Estate to determine if there are leopards roaming the area at night.
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An alpha male Romeo, a pregnant female Juliet and a young female Susan have been spotted on the estate and it is thought that there might be a few a more.
“We are extremely proud to have these dazzling animals roaming our magnificent estate,” said Wim Braak, International Sales Manager of Lourensford Estate.
The Cape Leopard – sub-species of the African Leopard – is only found in two of South Africa’s regions, namely the Eastern and Western Cape. Over the years this species has suffered extensive range loss in the Cape and is now extinct in many areas where it formerly occurred.
The Cape Leopard Trust was established to optimally facilitate conservation of the Cape's predator diversity through simultaneously implementing conservation strategies, research projects and tourism initiatives. It has since implemented a range of conservation projects in the Cederberg Mountains, the Swartberg/Gamka Corridor and the Namaqualand region. As of late their focus has been on the spectacular Kogelberg and Hottentots-Holland Mountains surrounding Lourensford Estate and the outskirts of the City of Cape Town.
Lourensford has thus joined forces with the Trust and the City of Cape Town’s Nature Conservation department to monitor the leopards’ movements and ensure their safety.
Inge Kotze, BWI Coordinator said: “This is a fantastic, charismatic example of how important these remaining areas are as corridors for species movement and survival”.