We discovered true dedication and had to help… maybe you will too.
The leopard is at great risk in South Africa. The African leopard is the last of the Big Five to be roaming free outside of reserves and parks. And there may be far fewer left than most conservation data indicates. Anton manages a landmark research project designed to determine the true status of the leopard. Is it threatened or maybe even endangered?
It is crucial for the leopard’s survival that we know the answer. With your help Nikela supplies Anton with camera “traps”, tracking collars and other equipment needed for the research.
(Sept. 3, 2011. This just in from Emma, head researcher. Lucky’s collar stopped working. Lucky is one of the leopards in the study. He needs to be professionally trapped and his collar fitted with new batteries… a costly deal. As you can imagine catching a leopard is no simple task… )
About Anton
Sitting on the lodge deck overlooking the bush…
Will, the director of the leopard research project, who is heavily involved with wildlife conservation on many fronts (Protect African Wildlife, Predator Protection Plan) told us about Anton. As we drank in the sounds and smells of the very ground the leopards walk on we felt we already knew this amazing young man with an incredible dedication to the protection of leopards.
Anton joined the project basically volunteering his time. To this day, Will told us, Anton works whether there’s money to pay him or not. From the start he’d go out on a rescue call to save an injured leopard no matter what the hour, or assist with trapping and collaring regardless of how long it took.
The next day as we sat in the small field office with Anton we saw that although he much prefers the outdoor activities associated with the project he’d learned enough about the data collection side to work productively with Emma (head researcher) and take over the management of the project.
This leopard research is so important because…
A number of factors are converging, literally squeezing the leopard right out of existence, they are habitat loss, the range myth and human-leopard conflict.
Habitat loss: With population growth and the increase of farms the bush is continually shrinking. This is of course a common problem for all wildlife, however, even more so for the last free roaming leopards.
Range myth: Early project data suggests: (1) that one leopard’s territory is much larger than previously thought, and (2) that a leopard travels further and faster than supposed. This indicates that past, less scientific, leopard censuses are very likely to have counted a leopard more than once, skewing the actual leopard population significantly.
Human-leopard conflict: Many farmers in this part of South Africa run goat or cattle herds, and they don’t like to share. Leopards are blamed for any livestock loss. Although investigations have shown that stray dogs are just as likely to be the culprits the leopards get the brunt of the violent retaliation.
Save a Leopard
Leopards are hit by vehicles, poisoned, shot and probably worst of all trapped in snares. Snaring, horrible, painful snaring!
Along with tracking the movements and behaviors of the leopards, Anton is very involved in preventing these brutal attacks on this beautiful animal as well as rescue efforts when one has been injured by an irate farmer or his workers.
Bottom line, the data from the leopard research will enable greater protection measures for the leopard to be put in place. Without this data the last of the free roaming leopards will continue to decrease. Anton is dedicated to make it happen and with your help he has the equipment to do so.
As you support Anton you’ll enjoy following him and the leopards via stories, photos and video clips… so go ahead, please make your donation to support Anton’s work now.
