Research project leopard killed

LOSS: Bruce Missing, of the Landmark Foundation, with the leopard that had been collared for research. It was shot by a Northern Cape farmer. Picture: LANDMARK FOUNDATION

LOSS: Bruce Missing, of the Landmark Foundation, with the leopard that had been collared for research. It was shot by a Northern Cape farmer. Picture: LANDMARK FOUNDATION

Published Oct 23, 2014

Share

Cape Town - A female leopard collared for a research project in the Northern Cape has been shot by a farmer, apparently after he lost stock.

The leopard had been collared by the Landmark Foundation, an environmental NGO working towards “wildlife friendly” land management, particularly with stock farmers.

Bool Smuts, head of the organisation, said yesterday the farmer had been hunting at night and claimed he had shot the leopard by mistake.

“We were doing a study programme in the Northern Cape with camera trap surveillance, and this cat was collared and we’d been tracking her movement for three months,” Smuts said.

 

Smuts said the farmer had contacted them about stock losses. The Landmark Foundation had offered him compensation if it could be proved the leopard was responsible. It was monitoring the farm with camera traps, and was also to set up cage traps.

However, when the team arrived at the farm, the leopard had been shot by the farmer when he and his son were out hunting.

“Their defence is they didn’t intend to shoot it, they just saw its eyes glinting in the dark and shot.”

Smuts said:

“These projects are expensive to run – a cost of about R600 000 to all parties, never mind the ecological cost of losing a young, healthy animal.”

The Northern Cape Department of Environment and Nature Conservation could not be reached for comment. Smuts said the department had told him it was investigating.

It is unlawful to shoot a leopard without a permit.

Cape Times

Related Topics: