Cape Leopard Trust

[Niel]

Here is their newsletter and I mailed quinton re how his lux was doing - awaiting a responce


IT 2720/2004
The Cape Leopard Trust March 2008 Newsletter
http://www.capeleopard.org.za" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Dear Cape Leopard Trust supporters,
it is our pleasure to once again fill you in on all the latest news and developments on our project. We hope you enjoy reading it. Please remember to contact us if you have any questions concerning the project or these stunning felids.

Kind regards
Quinton Martins
Project Manager

Newsflash!
A grant of US$ 110 000 has been given to the Cape Leopard Trust to set up a new leopard project in Namaqualand. This substantial amount of funding has come from the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF) and Conservation International (CI). The project will be run by Ben-Jon Dreyer, a very enthusiastic young conservationist. He will be assisted on a rotational basis by community field workers trained by the Biota group, as well as by a BSc Honours graduate, Gail Potgieter from Pietermaritzburg. Gail has volunteered her services to the CLT for the entire year in an effort to gain some work experience before registering for a Masters degree in Zoology.

The study will take place in the Kamiesberg Mountains – in the Garies -Kamieskroon part of Namaqualand famous for its flowers in spring. Soon visitors will not only have the luxury of visiting this area as being one of the worlds floral hotspots, but also as an area that hosts diverse fauna in an incredible landscape. Remote digital cameras will be deployed to monitor faunal activity in the hope of capturing data on leopard.

Historical evidence suggests leopards were resident in this area, but are now locally extinct. Skeid (1982) refers to a note made by Barnabas Shaw in 1817 when at Leliefontein mission station on the Kamiesberge, that “tigers” (local name for leopards) were very destructive among cattle, horses and foals”. Shortridge (1936) wrote “Leopards are no longer resident in the Kamiesberg...”

Quinton and his fiancée Elizabeth (Liz) Bond visited the region in January. Contrary to the bleak view expressed above, we believe leopards still pass through this magnificent region. Whether they are resident or not, we shall soon see. This habitat would make for an ideal leopard corridor linking this hilly and mountainous terrain up to the Gariep (Orange) River and Richtersveld. We will keep you updated with the progress of this project.

Cape Leopard Trust Studies

University of Bristol
Quinton is working hard on his PhD – this along with the 2 new projects has kept him pretty busy of late. The following year will be spent working with the substantial amount of data captured on leopards in the Cederberg over the past 5 years. If he doesn’t respond to e-mails within a week or 2 of it being sent, it’s because of an inordinate workload and not a lack of interest.

Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University
The CLT have provided a bursary for Masters student Therese Rautenbach attending NMMU under the supervision of Prof Graeme Kerley and Quinton. She is currently doing a study on leopard diet in three mountain regions in the Cape. The Cederberg study has provided a significant sample size of leopard scats to analyse, while the Gamka project is currently focussing on collecting as many scats (old or fresh) as possible to see what leopard diet in this area might be. These will be compared to diet of leopard in the eastern Cape, and will be a very useful management tool, enabling one to determine prey preference, abundance as well as an indication of leopard habitat preference. One will also note the presence (or absence) of domestic livestock in leopard diet in these regions where conflict is perceived to result in massive economic loss. Results of this study will be available at the end of the year.

More information on further University Studies.

Leopard News
GPS collar data from the leopards in the Cederberg are revealing fascinating information on the ecology of these elusive animals. M11, the adult male leopard collared in Houdini’s territory last year, has taken over the exact same area Houdini patrolled.

We have managed to track this male on foot a number of times now using telemetry equipment, however, he is certainly not as confident and “visible” as Houdini was. It seems almost certain now that that old cat, Houdini, is no longer. Unless he has pulled yet one more trick over us, he may well have succumbed to one of his favourite prey items, namely, porcupines. A strategically embedded quill from one of these animals has often seen the downfall of even the largest African carnivore.



Read More

Gouritz Project Update

We visited the Gamka/Swartberg in December to look at potential camera trapping sites for the project. An area of 100 000ha was divided up into grids cells of about 5000ha each and areas within these were identified as potential camera trapping sites. Leigh & her assistants (Johnny from Cape Nature & Fiona Pamplin) went to set up cameras later in January, identifying suitable locations to try capture leopard photographs. The results...

Six leopards in six months!!

Read more

Resolving Conflict - Anatolian Shepherd Dogs
The CLT are pleased to have facilitated the sponsored of an Anatolian Shepherd Dog to Gerrie Mathee, one of the local Gamka farmers who has experienced leopard problems in the past. He was very excited to receive “Woofie” who is now employed to safeguard Gerrie’s goats.

The CLT went back last week to check on Woofie’s progress. He certainly is growing fast! Many thanks to Hannelie Liebenberg, a local dog breeder, for sponsoring the dog for Gerrie

Media & Sponsors
SA 4x4 magazine were out in the Cederberg for a weekend recently – Patrick Cruywagen was the man on the scene. Note there will be an extensive article on our project in next month’s edition of this outdoor 4x4 magazine. We are particularly pleased to see that the 4x4 public are obviously interested in conservation in our country.

Douglas Lederle Memorial Fund

Douglas Eason Lederle : 10.7.1971 – 20.2.2008
“Some people tread lightly on the earth, whilst others leave a huge footprint.”

Douglas was a supporter of the CLT right from the inception of the project. Our first fundraising event saw him bid for an auction item way out of his price range – to the horror of his wife Wilmien - I think. I met him when doing my rounds collecting auction money from the previous night’s function, then learning of his passion for nature. He was well loved by his family and friends, and this consequence of his passing away has led to them contributing donations to the Trust in his memory.

This very emotional and special gesture makes us realise how important it is for us to make this project a success. We would like to thank all who knew Douglas and who made contributions to our work. We also hope that when you are out in nature, and you see a bat-eared fox, or hear the rasping call of a leopard, that you remember the effect wilderness and our environment can have on a person – such as it did on Douglas.
Special mention for our Sponsors
Three Cities Group

Uitkyk Pass in the Cederberg is one of the only places one can get cell phone reception in these mountains – thankfully...but that’s another story.

Within this 50m2 area, sitting on a rock looking out over the beautiful valley I received a message on my phone from the Three Cities Group saying they had a “little” contribution to make to our project and will Quinton go to Durban to collect a cheque.

Accommodation and flights were covered – so off he went to meet with the CEO of this hotel group. On the 29th February, we were overwhelmed by the amazing generosity when a cheque of R30 000 was handed to the CLT. This support (& wonderful hotel accommodation) is truly fantastic! Thank you!

Bateleurs
With the continual support of the Bateleurs, we have saved an enormous amount of time and resources in order to track our very elusive leopards in the Cederberg. Our most recent flight, on the 27th February, was exceptionally productive. We were able to get GPS downloads and track Amber, Oom Arrie, M11 and Trompie. The latter has been almost impossible to find over the past 3 months, however, this last flight with Bateleurs pilot, Johan Ferreira, proved successful and we downloaded a huge amount of data from the GPS collar. Trompie (or M9) has now provided us with the most continual data out of all the collared leopards – 15 months! Oom Arrie was a bit more of a problem, and it was only persistence and incredible flying skills that enabled us to get a good fix on where this darn cat was. He was in a very nasty, rugged mountain crevice on the Karoo side of the Cederberg. Once again – a huge thanks to the Bateleurs for their incredible support of our work – we would be lost without it.

Capestorm
Working in the roughest conditions imaginable requires serious outdoor gear. Thanks to Capestorm’s involvement in our project and sponsorship of all our clothing, CLT staff are kitted out to the T. What has been great is that many of our sponsors are now using Capestorm for their clothing requirements. Synergies such as these make assisting conservation easier. Note, Capestorm have just opened a new store in Kloof Street, Cape Town. Check it out!

Donations
We wish to thank the following people for their generous contributions to our project
Pieter Nel (R3500); Michael Sparg(R5000), Sarah Templey (R4300) & Joan Berning (R3500); Carol & Rex Harland (R3000); Anita Gossmann (R500); Roger – Prima Tyres (R500); Bishops (R1000) & a very special Thanks to Karl & Gabi Westwig who have contributed another R10 000!

Energizer
A special thank you goes out to Jason Cederwall from Energizer, who has organized assisting us with battery sponsorship. Extensive use of various batteries in the field have shown that Energizer have come out tops with the equipment we are using. This fantastic contribution will keep our camera’s snapping away for the next year! Thank you Jason!

Volunteers

Fiona Pamplin joined the Gouritz project in January to gain some field experience in working in cat conservation. She recently completed her BSc (Hons) in Zoology from the University of Leeds in the UK. She has a passion for felid conservation and hopes to manage a project such as this someday. She has been a great help with all aspects of the project especially with her background in fundraising and marketing. We wish Fiona well on her future travels and the best of luck in finding work in the cat conservation field. Read More

Miguel Gallardo Albajar is a PhD student who joined the project from Spain, in order to gain some field experience before setting up a leopard research project in the Moroccan Atlas Mountains. Read More

Gail Potgieter has completed her Honours at the University of Kwazulu-Natal (Pietermaritzburg). Read More

Items for Sale
Cape Leopard Trust Tyre Covers
For those of you who drive a 4x4 and have a tyre mounted on the back of your vehicle – this is a must! Depending on how many are on order at any one time, we expect the cost to be roughly R1000 (or even somewhat less). If you are interested, please mail us with your details and tyre size. We will place an order and post you your CLT tyre cover as soon as it has been made up.

T-Shirts for sale
Cape Leopard Trust t-shirts made by the amazing Capestorm outdoor clothing company are now available by order from us, or from Capestorm, Wynberg branch (45 Lester rd, Wynberg); tel: 021 761 2021 or http://www.capestorm.co.za" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;.
The cost is R160.

Special Thanks...
must go to ALL of our supporters for having the faith in our ability to make a difference with this project. We will continue to do our very best and put all our effort into work that is crucial to our precious environment. If we have neglected to thank any person who should have been included in this newsletter – PLEASE let us know so we can include you in our next newsletter.

Kind regards
Quinton Martins
Project Manager
The Cape Leopard Trust | http://www.capeleopard.org.za" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; | capeleopard@hixnet.co.za
(+27) 73 241 4513 | (+27) 27 482 2785
P.O.Box 1118 | Sun Valley | 7985 | Cape Town | South Africa


Sponsors and Event Donors
Project Sponsors:
Sponsors (R500 000 plus):

Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund /Conservation International
Rand Merchant Bank

Sponsors (R100 000 – R500 000):
Bergen University
Bushmans Kloof
Deutsche Bank
Eco Aire - Peter Turnbull
Hans Hoheisen Charitable Trust
Leopards Leap Wines
Polaris Capital
University of Bristol

Sponsors (R50 000 - R100 000):
Africa Geographic
Auction Alliance
Bateleurs
Capestorm
Engel & Volkers
Rufford Small Grant
Televilt

Sponsors ((R10 000 - R50 000)
Bakkrans Nature Reserve
Cape Nature (House Rental)
CC Africa
Citrusdal Cellars
Fuji Film
Greater Cederberg Biodiversity Corridor (GCBC)
Jennie van Malsen Birthday Fund
Jock Kannemeyer – BJK Industries
Karl Westvig
Margaret Baran (Tabs)
Mount Ceder
Photo Connection
Premier Auto Group Rondebosch
Sean Caulfield
Sohn, Gordon, Martins, Brandford Attorneys
Stellenbosch University
Two Oceans Aquarium

Camera Trap Sponsors:
Birding Africa; Boland Eco-4's; Hooper Family; Ian Michler; Jessie Middelmann; Land Cruiser Club of SA;Lehr Family; Louise Littlewood – The African Collection; Mountain Club of SA; Paul & Kim Woulfe; Paul & Lindsay Middelmann; Peggy Whitson ; Ubuntu Trust

Leopard Adoptions:
"Johan" - Leopards Leap Wines/Africa Geographic
"Lisa" - Leopards Leap Wines/Africa Geographic
"Ouma Maaitjie" - Leopards Leap Wines/Africa Geographic
"Houdini" - Eco Aire/Peter Turnbull
"Max" - Oelz Family
"Oom Arrie" - Engel & Volkers
F6 - "Pantereus" foundation

Anatolian Shepherd Dog sponsorship
sponsored "Tabs" working at Driehoek (Cederberg
Peter Braat - sponsored Sheba to Ampie Albertyn in Botriver.
Margaret Baran – sponsored “Jumbo” to Joubert van der merwe at Biedouw farm (Biedouw Valley).
Deb Jugan - sponsored “ dog to Josua Visser at Oudam.

Donors
Avalon Springs; Melissa Baird; Cederberg Conservancy; Cederberg Wines; Cheetah Outreach; Clara Anna Fontein; Gate-7; Gerald Hinde; Guy Hayward; Harley Davidson (Cape Town); Haw & Inglis (Pty); Ian Michler; Jacques Slabber; Louis Kienle; Photo Connection; Picto; MunYaWana Leopard Project; Neil Jowell; RCS; Rotary Club – Clarement; Sandown Motor Holdings; Sean Caulfield; Steve Tugwell;!Khwa

Event Donors:
Africa Geographic; Auction Alliance; Avalon Spring Spa Resort; Bakkrans Nature Reserve; Bushmanskloof; Capestorm; Cederberg Wines; Dawie Fourie; Enviropaedia; Gallery 909; Gerald Hinde; Gravity Adventures; La Med;
Lega D’oro; Leopard’s Leap; Natasha de Wororin; Resolution Colour; Sean Caulfield; Travelers Rest;
Vanessa Cowling; Woolworths

[Family_Dog]

Good stuff, Niel! Thanks for informing us. I was wondering why we had heard no more from the CLT just this week


-F_D

[Niel]

Eric, I have approached them to do some field work, twice but no luck :o
I get the newsletters and will post it here to keep the interrested members up to date.

[Niel]

Emailed Quinton and he said thay now have 2 hilux 4x4 and alles loop reg altyd reg TOYOTA :D

[Niel]

The latest news letter from CLT

[Niel]

The latest news letter:

http://www.capeleopard.org.za/zanewslet ... ember.html

[Dadz Toy BFI]

Eric, I have approached them to do some field work, twice but no luck :o
I get the newsletters and will post it here to keep the interrested members up to date.

Keep trying Niel and don't forget to mention free snazzy Forum caps for the CLT Field Workers

[Niel]

some info on the Boland CLT project.

http://www.capeleopard.org.za/leopard_d ... m=READMORE