Latest news with #CapeLeopardTrust
News24
a day ago
- Automotive
- News24
More than just a car brand – Ford's Wildlife Foundation helps protect SA's precious leopards
The Cape Leopard Trust was founded in 2004. The Ford Wildlife Foundation was established in 2014. Ford provides the Cape Leopard Trust team with Ranger bakkies to continue their work. Aside from its range of local bakkies and SUVs that fly the flag high in terms of monthly sales in South Africa, Ford is also actively involved in a couple of initiatives locally like the READ Educational Trust (since its inception in 1998) and the (Ford) Wildlife Foundation. The latter was established in 2014 and currently supports 28 projects across SA and another in Mozambique. For more than 30 years, Ford South Africa has actively participated in wildlife and ecosystem conservation efforts in SA and Sub-Saharan Africa. The Ford Wildlife Foundation (FWF) is unique in its partnership with organisations. These organisations are selected by Ford and the FWF board and receive the full-time use of locally assembled Rangers for a period of two years. The greater good The automaker has supported the Cape Leopard Trust (CLT) in its leopard conservation work. They are a non-governmental, not-for-profit, public benefit organisation founded in 2004 that facilitates and promotes the conservation of biological diversity, focusing on the leopard as a flagship species. Rob Till/Ford SA The team is small and close-knit, guided by a board of trustees and a scientific advisory board, and supported by brand ambassadors. ALSO READ | Ford's fancy Everest 3.0 V6 Platinum is everything you need in large SUV Essential to capturing images of the leopards in the area is the CLT's research team's camera trap - a motion- and heat-sensitive digital camera that monitors wildlife day and night, which is essential for studying leopards in the Cape region. 'Researching leopards in the Cape is especially challenging due to the leopard's elusive nature and the demanding landscapes we work in. Fieldwork requires careful planning, rugged equipment, and reliable mobility,' said Dr Katy Williams, Research and Conservation Director at the CLT. Rob Till/Ford SA Additionally, the Boland Mountain Complex (BMC) is one of the CLT's priority long-term monitoring sites, with the current survey spanning approximately 2 500km² and involving 90 paired camera trap stations. With that in mind, Ford provided the CLT team with Ranger bakkies, which enabled them to reach the more rugged and mountainous regions needed to capture data—it would have been very challenging to do otherwise. 'At Ford, we believe in enabling real-world conservation efforts through practical support. The Cape Leopard Trust's work is not only scientifically robust but community-focused, and their team is often working in difficult terrain under tough conditions,' says Lynda du Plessis, manager of the Ford Wildlife Foundation. Rob Till/Ford SA Rangers for the job Bakkies are known for their ruggedness, and in this instance, they not only have the mechanical capability but also sufficient load space to transport equipment and reach remote field sites that are otherwise inaccessible. The double-cab bakkie derivatives were the XL (priced from R620 000), XLT (priced from R681 500), and Wildtrak X (priced from R1 070 500). The XL has a single turbodiesel 2.0-litre engine that produces 125kW and 405Nm. It is also available in 4x2 or 4x4 configuration and can be paired with either a six-speed manual or automatic transmission. The XLT also does duty with the same 2.0-litre unit as the XL and is also available in bi-turbo trim as well. The bi-turbo makes 154kW and 500Nm. The single turbo versions use six-speed automatic transmissions, while the bi-turbo garners the 10-speed automatic. The Wildtrak X is only available with the 2.0-litre Bi-Turbo and full-time 4 4-wheel drive.
Eyewitness News
25-04-2025
- Science
- Eyewitness News
Cape Leopard Trust camera survey captures rare leopard footage in Piketberg Mountains
The Cape Leopard Trust (CLT) runs surveys of Leopards in the mountain regions of the Western Cape to better understand the movements and population count of Leopards for each area. The most recent survey was conducted in the Piketberg and Olifantsrivier Mountains. How it works... Game cameras are set up in strategic spots which capture the movements of animals in the area. This survey consisted of 74 paired camera stations spanning roughly 1500 km2 of mostly unprotected mountainous habitat, interspersed with agricultural land, resulting in a total of 154,000 images. The cameras are then collected, and the process of identification can begin. This survey captured these highlights: Thirty-one wild mammal species were identified, including aardwolf, aardvark, Cape fox, striped polecat, and even an African snake weasel and black-backed jackal. The cameras also recorded several bird species, including spotted eagle-owl, jackal buzzard, rock kestrel, purple and grey heron, a spotted thick-knee and a pied kingfisher. The survey recorded leopards at 54 out of the 74 camera locations, while a total of 45 different adult cats were identified. These observations help with research and encourage reporting and the prevention of livestock losses by predators. The result shows... Leopards are 'surviving' in the mountains of the Cape, as they have been for years. A standout moment for Hayward from the survey was seeing more than one leopard on camera. Typically, leopards spend their lives alone, and the only time you see two leopards together is when it's a mother with a cub, which is also a rare sight. However, in this survey, a rare moment caught three hours of two leopards' mating behaviour on camera.
IOL News
24-04-2025
- Science
- IOL News
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
