|
Bushmans Kloof Wilderness Reserve & Retreat is a major sponsor of the Cape Leopard Trust, a project dedicated to the preservation of the endangered Cape Mountain Leopard (Panthera pardus) in the Cederberg region (Western Cape).
Earlier this week, Nelson Rodrigues, lodge manager of Bushmans Kloof, presented a cheque in the amount of R60 000 to Quinton Martins, Project Manager and Researcher of the Cape Leopard Trust on behalf of the owners of Bushmans Kloof.
The donation will be used to purchase another two GPS (Global Positioning Satellite system) collars, thus ensuring that this vital conservation management project is able to continue its valuable work. It brings Bushmans Kloof’s total sponsorship since inception of the Cape Leopard Trust project in 2005, to a total of 8 collars, valued at some R240 000.
Fitted GPS collars provide valuable data that aids research of the behaviour of this elusive and enigmatic species, allowing Martins and his team to determine the home range and behaviour of leopards in the Cederberg.
The Cape Mountain leopard is protected within the Cederberg Wilderness area, and Bushmans Kloof, located within the buffer zone, provides a further sanctuary of 7500 hectares to the Cape Mountain leopard population.
The first sighting, capture and collaring of a leopard ever to take place on Bushmans Kloof caused great excitement among Bushmans Kloof guides when ‘Kooitjie’ (after ‘Kooitjie Dawid se plaat’ – the name of the rock shelf in front of the lodge), an (estimated) eight year old male was sighted, collared and releases here in August 2006. The second leopard, a female named ‘Amber’ was collared on the reserve just over one year later. To date a total of eleven leopards have been collared by The Cape Leopard Trust in this region, and information gleaned from the GPS collars is producing groundbreaking scientific results which, in turn, are positively affecting the conservation of this threatened feline species.
Bushmans Kloof is passionately dedicated to the preservation and protection of indigenous wildlife on both the reserve and in the surrounding Cederberg Wilderness area. Custodian to numerous rare or endangered species of birds and mammals, including one of the largest privately owned herds of the Cape Mountain zebra, the Cape clawless otter and the Clanwilliam yellow fish, it is renowned for its exceptional environmental and conservation projects and was awarded the esteemed Relais & Châteaux Environment Trophy 2007.
Says Lodge Manager Nelson Rodrigues: ‘Bushmans Kloof is proud to support this important conservation project to study the apex predator in the Western Cape. The preservation of the leopard is of prime concern within this region. Although it is not easy to estimate their exact numbers, according to research the remaining leopard population is very limited, and therefore needs to be protected within the Cederberg Wilderness area. We at Bushmans Kloof are proud to assist in the protection of these special animals that greatly add to the mystique of this beautiful region.’
For further information about the GPS collar or The Cape Leopard Trust please contact Quinton Martins on (073) 241 4513 or email capeleopard@hixnet.co.za
Bushmans Kloof Reservations:
Tel (021) 481 1860
Fax (021) 481 1870
email
info@bushmanskloof.co.za
www.bushmanskloof.co.za
|
