The CLT Boland Project is currently repeating their Southern survey, with over 50 remote-sensing camera traps monitoring the wildlife in the mountains of the Jonkershoek, Hottentots-Holland, Groenlandberg, Kogelberg, Helderberg and Steenbras Reserves.
The previous Southern survey took place in the summer months, and is now being repeated as a winter survey to investigate seasonal differences in leopard and other mammal activity. The Hottentots-Holland and Kogelberg mountains have some of the highest rainfall in the Western Cape, so working out here in winter can mean getting very VERY wet at times!
With the survey now just past the halfway mark, we are pleased to report on two new leopards that we haven’t recorded before. Neo (BM18) was first caught on camera at the back of the Bergriver dam, and has since also been photographed in Jonkershoek and in the Helderberg basin.
Neo (BM18) in the Jonkershoek Nature Reserve
Olive (BF14) roams the southern foothills of the Groenlandberg, and shares her territory with Popeye (BM17), the dominant male in the Hottentots-Holland & Groenlandberg area.
Olive (left) and Popeye (right) at the same camera trap
Other good news is that the Wemmershoek leopards [read more here and here] are doing well, with at least one of BF1’s cubs still alive and growing at a rapid pace! We’re hoping to see the second cub on our cameras again soon.
BF1 (left) with her cub (right) in the Wemmershoek valley
Until next time,
Boland greetings
Anita & Jeannie
