Cape Town - There be leopard in those mountains. Their number is as yet unknown, but thanks to Cape wine and grape farmers with wildlife at heart, these spotted predators are enjoying a better chance of survival.
Two months ago, the Landmark Foundation – a conservation NGO which operates the Leopard and Predator Project involving rescue, rehabilitation, release and research – installed cameras in the Robertson “corridor”, the land linking the Overberg and Riviersonderend mountains with the ranges between De Doorns and Montagu.
Fifteen farmers in the Rooiberg Breede River Conservancy area, along with Rooiberg and Graham Beck cellars, bought cameras while the foundation added a further 15 to get information on the leopard population.
Merely a month into the project, farmers, winemakers and project director Dr Bool Smuts were delighted to discover that 16 cameras had captured leopard, with five animals identified so far.
Footage of other species – honey badgers, African wildcat, genets, mongooses, antelope species and caracals – has proved a bonus revealing the presence of a good diversity of species on these farms.
As a key genetic connectivity corridor to leopard survival, Robertson offers a vital link. Threats include loss of habitat due to human development, killing by snares and traps, and inbreeding among this small population, while the R60 road also poses a hazard.
Landmark researchers intend to place GPS collars on a few animals to help them find survival solutions within two to three years.
Local community members will be trained in fields of conservation biology to fill management level positions, while interested Robertson residents are being encouraged to volunteer their services.
Conservation-minded consumers could look out for the Leopard Friendly Farm signboards when planning tasting trips.
The project is a pleasing counterpart to the ongoing battle between the conservation lobby, provincial ministers and those farmers wanting free licence to kill jackals and other predators on their farms.
Leopards are also grabbing centre stage in the Voor Paardeberg. While writing this column, an email arrived with a photograph of a handsome young leopard taken by a recently installed camera by Vondeling Wines.
Along with wildlife conservation, Rooiberg’s recently appointed marketing manager, Zaine Pritchard, points to other attractions at this popular cellar on the R60 – free tastings, popular bakery and bistro, and a gift shop. Visitors can sample four just-released 2012 vintages, all offering affordable, fruity, enjoyable quaffing.
Both the chenin blanc and the chenin/sauvignon blanc cost R28, with the blend presenting agreeable layers of flavour. I always enjoy the fresh fruitiness of young colombar (R28) while the sauvignon blanc (R31.50) is typically Robertson in style, a crisp meld of fruit and herbaceous tones.
The pinotage rosé (R28) is dry but laden with berry and cherry notes. In the Reserve range, both the pinotage and shiraz are highly rated wines, so the forthcoming release of a Cape Blend, where these two cultivars are lent further complexity from a little cab promises to be a flagship event, but will be priced to please.
It’s sure to be a fine choice for toasting the survival of the Cape leopard. - Weekend Argus