Cederberg wildlife survey reveals insights into leopard populations
A Cape Leopard cub found wandering in the Cederberg, as part of hundreds of photos taken by The Cape Leopard Trust Research team from their large-scale survey in the region.
Image: Cape Leopard Trust
The Cape Leopard Trust Research team is buzzing with excitement as they unveil the results of a significant survey of the Cederberg region.
Spanning over 1600 km² of this rugged, iconic landscape, the survey ran from June to December 2023 and promises to shed light on the elusive leopard population within one of South Africa's most pristine natural habitats.
During the survey, 67 paired camera stations were strategically placed along jeep tracks and hiking trails, ensuring comprehensive coverage of the varied montane Fynbos environment, which includes provincial and private nature reserves as well as communal lands. The challenges faced during this survey were immense, from unprecedented floods and snow to heatwaves and veld fires.
A caracal that was spotted in the survey conducted by the Cape Leopard Trust in the Cederberg
Image: Cape Leopard Trust
Working alongside the cutting-edge machine learning programme WildID, the research team meticulously sifted through over 240,000 photographs captured by the cameras. Remarkably, among these images, a staggering 29,000 were of human subjects, predominantly showcasing the legs of researchers, hikers, and trail runners in this popular outdoor hotspot.
However, the survey's primary focus was on the diverse wildlife inhabiting the Cederberg, and initial results are promising. The researchers have documented an impressive 29 mammal species, including beloved native wild animals such as the genet, mongoose, honey badger, aardvark, and aardwolf. the most frequently captured species include baboons, rock hyrax (dassie), klipspringers, and grey rhebucks. Bird enthusiasts will also be pleased to learn that numerous avian species were recorded, including the spotted eagle-owl, rock kestrel, hamerkop, and South African shelduck.
In a notable highlight, leopards were spotted at 60 of the 67 camera locations, achieving a remarkable success rate of 90%. Through careful analysis using the pattern recognition software of African Carnivore Wildbook and corroborated by visual identification, researchers evaluated just over 860 identifiable leopard images, resulting in the identification of 37 unique adult leopards. Notably, this year's survey has brought the past into focus; nine leopards recorded in previous surveys conducted between 2017 and 2018 were also photographed in 2023, indicating a potential stability in their population dynamics.
The Mountain Zebra that was wandering in the Cederberg captured by the Cape Leopard Trust during the survey in the region
Image: Cape Leopard Trust
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