Cape Town: The Cape Leopard Trust has received a Ford Ranger 4×4 to celebrate the International Leopard Day, marking a meaningful spot on the global wildlife calendar to raise awareness of the species.
The International Leopard Day is celebrated every year on May 3rd. It sheds the light on the challenges faced by the population of leopard. It includes the habitat loss, poaching, human-wildlife conflict and illegal trading.
Cape Leopard Trust has been a part of Ford Wildlife Foundation (FWF) family projects, since 2016. The trust uses camera trapping and dietary analysis along with the social science to study leopards and their predators.
Moreover, the data is utilised to analyse the movement of the leopard, habitat needs, health and diet of the wildcat population.
Under the guidance of CEO Helen Turnbull, FWF has actively protected the leopards and their habitats across the Western Cape and provides the constant support to the Cape Leopard Trust.
To support the trust, FWF has provided a locally produced Ford Ranger 4×4 car to the Cape Leopard Trust on loan for two years that include the ongoing maintenance and support through its dealer network.
Research and Conservation Director at the Cape Leopard Trust – Dr. Katy Williams said that researching leopards in the Cape is especially very challenging due to the leopard’s elusive nature and the challenging landscapes our team works in.
Dr. Katy acknowledged that fieldwork requires careful planning, dedication, rugged equipment and mobility. Ford Ranger 4×4 is an essential component provided to the FWF, for every camera trap survey, making travel easy over large distances and rough terrain with heavy boxes of equipment.
The results from camera trap surveys inform the conservation strategies and environmental education programmes that through every camera trap survey we build positive relationships with the communities living in Leopard landscapes, said Director Williams.
Cape Leopard Trust offers human predators the mitigation programmes to inform and support local farmers to implement the management strategies for non-lethal predators to encourage a peaceful co-existence between the leopards and local communities.
To celebrate the International Leopard Day in another unique way, the city has marked March 2023 as the inaugural Global Leopard Conference, which has brought together the hundreds of researchers, students, conservationists and enthusiasts in the first-ever international gathering dedicated to ‘Panthera pardus’, the leopard.
The presentations and discussion groups at the conference has indicated that the leopards are still greatly in need of awareness raising the support and investment for the wildcats.
Highlighting the everlasting legacy of the Global Leopard Conference, International Leopard Day was officialized and endorsed to give a permanent and meaningful place on the global wildlife calendar, encouraging enthusiasts to promote and celebrate the leopards worldwide.
Notably, the Global Leopard Conference has suggested some ways to celebrate International Leopard Day.
The interested ones can spread some leopard love on the social media platforms with the hashtags #InternationalLeopardDay #LoveLeopards and #ForTheLoveOfLeopards, and let the world know why leopards are creatures worth conserving.
Special events can also be planned for May-03, anything that is dedicated to leopards, maybe a hike, trail runs and mountain bike rides that are dedicated to leopards.
Art installations and photo exhibitions, leopard themed baking competitions, engagement with schools, presentations for nature and outdoor clubs or any public participation in conservation initiatives can be organised too.