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Dear Cape Leopard Trust supporters,
it is our pleasure to once again fill you in on all the latest news and developments on our project. We hope you enjoy reading it. Please remember to contact us if you have any questions concerning the project or these stunning felids.

We would also like to wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. If you are travelling by car, please drive safe, be patient and don't get too bugged with the impatient drivers out there. Enjoy the wonderful landscapes we have instead...

We can hardly believe that it is almost the end of another successful year with the Cape Leopard Trust. There has been steady progress with the project and all facets of our mandate are being fulfilled, namely conservation, research and education. We have begun with the expansion of the project, moving into the Swartberg/Gamkaberg Corridor as well as a strong possibility of working in Namaqualand. The Trust has also appointed a new assistant project manager for the Swartberg Project, Leigh Potter, who started at the beginning of October.

We have finally got all the vehicle branding done on Witblits. Our main vehicle sponsor Leopard’s Leap will be clear for all to see as well as our fuel sponsor, EcoAire, Market Toyota and Toyota SA who have come on board with the vehicle sponsorship. Rand Merchant Bank Fund, our other main sponsor of this vehicle, has chosen not to advertise on our vehicle as this may result in it being a hijack target with criminals thinking we are transporting cash. It is sad that crime in SA has become so bad. Perhaps we need to keep a leopard in the vehicle to keep it safe…

With leopard cage traps designed by Cape Nature’s Jaco van Deventer and built (& sponsored) by FlexiPave, we have targeted a number of leopards to collar in the Cederberg in order to fulfil the requirement of a statistically significant sample size - a minimum of six adult males and six adult females within the study area. We have had 9 leopard captures this year alone. Two females and three males were collared and one male (Johan) was re-collared. Most recently, we captured an adult male (M11) in Houdini’s area.

We last had signs of this charismatic cat (adopted by EcoAire’s Peter Turnbull) on the 28th May. He was fortunate enough to have his territory located in the Cederberg Conservancy for the two years we tracked him and where there were no chances of him being killed by any farmers. However, M11, after reviewing recent GPS data, looks to have taken over the whole of Houdini’s range, making it almost a certainty that Houdini is either dead, or has been kicked out of his area where we have no contact with his collar.

Two school groups were exposed to the Cape Leopard Trust’s work over the past couple of months. Firstly, the Stellenbosch Waldorf grade 6 class was brought on a week field trip in the Cederberg. Quinton and school teacher Elizabeth Bond took the group on an overnight hike teaching the boys and girls about leopards and everything else in the veld. That night, full of trepidation, the class slept out in the mountain, each one having to stand watch for 45 minutes on their own.

’n Tweede luiperdwyfie is met ’n satellietsender in die Sederberge gemerk.

Dié wyfie, wat tans “F9” heet, is Saterdag in die Bushmanskloof-wildernisreservaat in ’n spesiale vanghok gevang. Sy is later op dieselfde plek vrygelaat om nie ander luiperds in die omgewing se loopgebiede te versteur nie.

Mnr. Quinton Martins van die Cape ­Leopard Trust sê dié sender sal baie help om meer oor die luiperds wat in dié streek hou, te leer.

Camps Bay venue, La Med was transformed into a hive of activity and generosity on Thursday 22 March 2007 as 300 guests bid on items ranging from wine to books and art to jewellery to raise funds for the Cape Leopard Trust.

Established to save the species from the brink of extinction, its patrons are well aware of the challenges facing the Trust and the magnificent creatures it protects. Franschhoek-based Leopard’s Leap Wine, which donates a percentage of its sales to the Trust, donated R120 000 while Deutsche Bank added a further R50 000 to the total R400 000 raised on the evening.

KAAPSTAD. – Een van die luiperds wat vroeër in die Sederberge met ’n satellietsender vir navorsingsdoeleindes toegerus is, is in ’n slagyster op ’n plaas naby Clanwilliam gevang.

Dié luiperdmannetjie, genaamd Colin, het gevrek, ondanks hulp van dr. André van der Merwe, ’n plaaslike veearts.

Colin, wat in November deur bewaringslui gevang en met ’n senderhalsband toegerus is, was vermoedelik sewe of agt jaar oud.

The Cape Leopard Trust will be celebrating its 3rd anniversary @ La med, Clifton, Cape Town.

Tickets can be purchased via Computicket.

The beautiful La Med, a restaurant in Clifton with a veranda that sits watching the sunset over Camps Bay beach breathing in fresh air and a backdrop of the mountain has unbelievably decided to sponsor our next fundraiser by giving us their unique venue for the evening.

As many of you know, so much effort has gone into trapping and trying to capture (& collar) a female leopard in the Cederberg. Yesterday it finally happened. It was amazing! Absolutely & totally the most unbelievable experience...ever. And who said I can't get a good woman - this without a gold card & Porsche keys in the cage to attract her (a suggestion made by one of our supporters). Though I did use a very good ladies perfume donated by one of our supporters...

I had come to Cape Town to attend a CLT  Board of Trustees meeting on Tuesday & got a call early on Wednesday morning after Willem had gone out to check the cages. Both Willem & I have been doing a crazy amount of hiking in order to monitor the traps. The hectic summer temperatures of 47 degrees (in the shade!) don't help.

I have some amazing news - Fantastic NEWS!! I have managed to capture and collar our Fourth leopard in the Cederberg on Friday. An adult male weighing 32kg. What a stunning animal!

t was quite a crazy week that led up to this. Rika du Plessis (Cape Nature & trusty CLT supporter), Willem & I set the trap on Tuesday in Boskloof on the western side of the Cederberg. This beautiful property,Karukareb Wilderness Reserve, is linked to the Cederberg wilderness area. The trap was set in a prime leopard area - and as per usual - we did not use any bait. We have almost collared all the adult, territorial males that could possibly occur in the 2000 km2 study area.