The elusive Cape mountain leopard Spot

When I wrote on the 24th of November, the weatherman promised ‘very cold, wet and windy conditions are expected to set in over the north-western high ground’ in the Cederberg. Sutherland has had MINUS 2C in November! Jurg was hiking at Driehoek as October turned to November volunteering with the Cape Leopard Trust and helping to monitor the traps.

The Cape Leopard Trust

For us vegetarians the ickier side of trapping leopards is the bait. CLT’s Quinton Martins has a permit from Cape Nature to collect road kill to be used as bait. They found this duiker in the vegetation by the road, a victim of road kill. The dead animal (you and I will just imagine the smell and the buzzing flies) is carried OUTSIDE the vehicle. Interesting task for Sheryl, an intern from North Carolina!

Road kill duiker as CLT bait

CLT transporting a dead duiker

Since Jurg began volunteering, he and Dr. Martins have been working at recapturing Spot, as the battery in her collar needs replacing. Quinton says he has caught her three times and she is getting wise to his traps.

Always so tantalising and frustrating – Jurg did have one capture that week. Rush to the trap to see who or what we have. A Cape clawless otter. Very quick photo. Open the cage door. The indignant otter dashes down to the nearby river!   

Cape clawless otter in CLT trap

While Jurg was sitting in his tent he heard a rumble. Then an almighty crash. Came out of his tent to find that his guardian angel had carefully steered a falling branch – to just miss Jurg, his tent, and his car! Unusually fierce wind in Cape Town at the Linkin Park concert claimed a life. And made our garden sulk.

Trees at Driehoek

Camping at Driehoek

Just hours after Jurg left his August stint, Quinton was out with the next volunteer. As they set the last trap of the day, dassie alarm calls alerted Quinton to a leopard in the vicinity. He set up the predator caller. As they drove along, Karla Saller asked ‘What’s that shape on the rock?’ Just 80m from the road, was Spot! Listening intently to that predator caller. Patience … but Spot walked away down the road, avoiding the trap yet again - from the September issue of the email newsletter for Adopt-A-Spot sponsors.

Dr Quinton Martins setting a trap

In November as we were chatting on the phone – Quinton had to rush, the trap monitor’s gone off. And the camera trap shows it was the elusive Spot. She was caught in the foot loop trap, but succeeded in escaping uninjured.

Despite this last winter storm cold front, we move to the summer school holidays, when it will be too hot to leave a leopard in the trap even briefly. When holidaymakers will be out hiking and disturbing the animals away to the quieter roads less travelled. In February Jurg will return to Driehoek and again he will be in search of Spot the elusive Cape mountain leopardess.

Quinton and Sheryl setting up a camera trap for the CLT
On the right a protea bush

It WAS Spot the Cape mountain leopard!

(Copyright to the Cape Leopard Trust)

As we are between Thanksgiving and Christmas, perhaps Adopt-A-Spot and our Cape mountain leopards can tick one name off your gift list?

Take your mind to that primeval back to nature – is that shape on the rock over there a leopard?! I found this fascinating archaeological research on Europe’s Ice Age, by Nicholas Conard at Tuebingen University. The world’s oldest musical instruments from southwestern Germany.  Listen to a modern musician on a replica flute. Thru long cold evenings in the cave, our ancestors used a vulture’s wing bone to carve a flute and then to make music.

To those who celebrate with me I wish a Happy Christmas, and to you all peace and happiness with family and friends. I’ll be back on the 28th with Christmas flowers for Wildflower Wednesday.

In June 2013 '3 hours later' the camera trap provides fresh evidence of Cape mountain leopards.

Pictures by Jurg and CLT

text by Diana Studer
AKA Diana of  Elephant's Eye

- wildlife gardening in Porterville, 
near Cape Town in South Africa

(If you mouse over brown text, it turns shriek pink. 

Those are my links.)