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South Africa's Bushmans Kloof rare Cape Leopard and cub photographs
30/06/2010
A female Cape Mountain Leopard (Panthera pardus) and her five-or-six-month-old cub were recently captured on camera at Bushmans Kloof Wilderness Reserve and Wellness Retreat. These rare photographs, recorded by the stationary Cape Leopard Trust camera in the kloof some 10kms from the lodge, confirms how effectively the reserve provides invaluable sanctuary to this endangered species.
Bushmans Kloof is dedicated to the preservation and protection of indigenous wildlife on both the reserve and in the surrounding Cederberg Wilderness area. For the past five years Bushmans Kloof has supported The Cape Leopard Trust, the organization dedicated to optimally facilitate conservation of the Cape's predator diversity through simultaneously implementing conservation strategies, research projects and tourism initiatives.
Bushmans Kloof has sponsored ten GPS (Global Positioning Satellite system) collars on Cape Leopards - for a total value of R300 000 - in support of this vital conservation management project, which provides valuable data that aids research of the behaviour of this elusive and enigmatic species. This recent sighting is indeed a testament to such a worthy cause. To date, a total of fourteen leopards have been collared by The Cape Leopard Trust in this region, including two at Bushmans Kloof.
According to Quinton Martins, project manager and one of the principal researchers of the Cape Leopard Project, these pictures (of only the second female to be recorded on camera in the reserve) suggest this new female (named #F12) has territorially displaced #F9 (Amber), who was resident in the area. The camera was subsequently moved to a new site to gain photographic evidence of where Amber might be.
Martins says, "We are very excited by this photograph, as it is rare to capture a female leopard on camera, and even more so, a female with a cub. There are several cameras placed around the Cederberg area. These cameras are set with a time-delay so as not to waste photographs on moving bushes and so on, so often only one of the animal is photographed before the cameras can be reactivated."
There are no great predators at Bushmans Kloof. However the rare and secretive Cape Leopard, on occasion, roams among the most remote mountains within the reserve, as these photographs show. Cape Leopards prefer rocky terrain with plenty of cover. Their natural prey includes the Rock Hyrax (Dassie) and small antelope such as Klipspringer. These highly adaptable wild animals with their distinctively retiring nature are sufficiently rare. Leopard cubs are usually weaned by the age of 6 to 7 months, but can stay with the mother till 12 or 18 months before having to leave the mother’s territory. Cub survival for leopards anywhere is low, but is probably even lower in the Cederberg because of the harsh environment. Based on current research, the Cape Mountain leopards are territorial animals that have massive home ranges up to 1000km2.
Bushmans Kloof is custodian to numerous rare or endangered species of birds and mammals, including one of the largest privately owned herds of the Cape Mountain zebra, the Cape clawless otter and the Clanwilliam yellow fish. Renowned for its exceptional environmental and conservation projects, Bushmans Kloof was awarded the Relais & Châteaux Environment Trophy in 2007, as well as the coveted Condé Nast Traveler World Savers Award: Global Winner of Wildlife Conservations Programs (2009).
Readers participating in the 2010 rating of the "World's Best for Service" in the acclaimed and prestigious Travel + Leisure Magazine World's Best Awards have voted Bushmans Kloof Wilderness Reserve and Wellness Retreat:
- Number 1 Hotel in Africa and the Middle East for World’s Best Service, achieving a very impressive score of 99.17 points.
- Number 2 among the Top 10 Hotels across the globe for Service Overall.
In 2009 Bushmans Kloof received the ultimate recognition of being hailed as the “Best Hotel in the World 2009” by Travel + Leisure.
