Leopard Conservation Project

What we are trying to establish: • Population and territory sizes in specific regions • Photographic database of known individuals • Determine the influence of encroaching farmlands in free range areas • Population sizes in areas where hunting occurs • Prey preference in specific areas according to natural or stock prey availability • Infant growth and mortality rates • DNA collection and analyses to determine genetic relatedness to leopards in other areas across Southern Africa • Develop more effective tools (namely collars) to allow us to gather better data • Male to female ratios in specific areas (how many females does 1 male service) and is there an overlap in male territory • Mature to sub-adult ratios Once this information has been gathered it will be used to develop operational guidelines to better manage predators, gain insight into conflict between predators and humans and provide a better overall understanding of broader conservation concerns.