Working to protect wild leopards in South Africa outside of parks and reserves

The Ingwe Leopard Research team has a fresh focus for 2012.

During 2012 Ingwe will be focusing on two female leopards (Diamond and Grace). Both are free roaming leopards with eight-month-old cubs, both have relatively safe home ranges in the mountains outside of Lydenburg, South Africa, and both will need to teach their cubs how to survive in areas where not everyone appreciates leopards.

Ingwe operates outside of formally protected areas such as national parks and game reserves, where leopards are one the last of the big cats still roaming free.

The cubs face hazards from a number of human conflict issues including poachers' snares and poison, local and international hunters, and an isolated number of livestock owners who still consider leopards as vermin.

As the cubs grow and leave their mothers protection, the Ingwe team aims to follow their progress and work with the local community and authorities, to help to protect them and raise awareness of the plight of free roaming leopards in South Africa. Join the Ingwe team and be part of this unfolding story. www.ingweleopard.com

Written by Will Fox - Ingwe leopard Research Manager

http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/ingwe-leopards.html

Leopards reintroduced into Malawi's Majete reserve

Part of a massive wildlife reintroduction programme

December 2011: Big cats are returning to Malawi thanks to an inspiring reintroduction programme.

The 70,000 hectare Majete Wildlife reserve has been a conservation success story since African Parks assumed management in 2003, with more than 2,550 head of wildlife, including elephant, buffalo, sable and black rhino, introduced to the park over eight years in a project that has, so far, cost more than $2.4 million.


The plan to gradually introduce big cats back into the park started in October 2011 with the introduction of two leopards relocated from the Kruger National Park in South Africa. Six more of these magnificent cats will be introduced to Majete as part of this programme - in pairs. The introduction of leopard is the penultimate step in the Majete restocking programme, which will culminate in the reintroduction of lions in 2012.

'To ensure every species flourishes, we have to get the timing right'

Until the launch of this project only one viable population of leopard existed in Malawi within the Nyika National Park. These leopards are the first to be introduced to Malawi across international borders, and the first leopards to make their home in Majete for nearly two decades.

Dorian Tilbury, field operations manager, African Parks Majete said: ‘Our mission is to restore, restock and rehabilitate Majete to the condition it was in before human impact. A vital component of the natural system, leopards have been the first big cat to be introduced because they have less of an impact on prey species than lion, which is the other indigenous predator to be re-introduced to Majete.

‘To ensure all species flourish we had to get the timing right. Leopards and lions often conflict with each other and if lions were brought in first it would have been more difficult for the leopards to establish themselves. Lions also eat more and it was necessary to allow the prey species numbers build up a little more before we introduced lions to ensure their survival.'

Kelly White, managing director of the Malawi Travel Marketing Consortium said: ‘The work African Parks is doing at Majete is set to have a phenomenal impact on tourism in Malawi, particularly for the safari industry.'
http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/leopard-malawi.html

Is it a tiger? Is it a leopard?

By: Ranjeet Jadhav

Date:  2011-11-07

Place: Mumbai

A milkman claims to have seen a tigress with cubs in the Sanjay Gandhi National Park, but forest officials are convinced that what he saw must be a leopard

If Balu Shinde is to be believed, you may not have to travel to the distant Tadoba Tiger Reserve or Ranthambore National Park to spot a tiger anymore. The 46-year-old milk distributor claims to have spotted a tigress and her two cubs behind Mahananda Dairy in Aarey colony on Friday.

The forest officials, however, refute his claims and say that it's not possible to spot a tiger in Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) for the simple reason that there aren't any in the park. They believe that Shinde must have spotted a leopardess, which locals have frequently spotted in the area, roaming with her two cubs.

Bombay Natural History Society Project Head (Forest) Krishna Tiwary said, "With no evidence, it's impossible to say that a tiger was spotted within the limits of the Aarey colony area."

No doubt it's a tiger
Shinde, however, is adamant that he saw a tiger at 8.45 pm on Friday. He said, "My colleagues and I were standing within the premises of the dairy when we heard people screaming, claiming that they have spotted a tiger. We immediately rushed to the gate in our jeep towards the Aarey colony forest. With our headlights switched on, we reached the gate; I was shocked to see a full-grown tigress along with her two cubs. We then saw them run into the forest." Shinde added, "I am certain that the creature I saw was a tiger. It had stripes on its body and not black spots like leopards do."

In 2003, tribals residing in the forest claimed to have seen a tiger at Nagla block, towards the northern end of SGNP. In order to verify their claims, officials from the forest department undertook a detailed study in the area. After verifying the pugmarks and looking at the bullock that was killed by the predator, it was confirmed that the animal spotted by the tribals was indeed a tiger. Since then, however, there have not been any tiger sightings in or around the park.

Taking note of the reported sighting, the estate department of Mahanand Dairy has written a letter to SGNP. Another letter has been dispatched to the local police station.

Chief Conservator of Forests and Director of SGNP Sunil Limaye said, "As soon as we received information that locals had spotted a wild animal, we sent our team to the spot and installed two camera traps in the area, so that images of the animal can be captured, if it visits the area again."

An animal expert revealed that the chances of a tiger sighting in the area were very slim. "The SGNP forest is a highly disturbed forest. There are many human settlements inside the park and tigers cannot adjust themselves in this kind of forest, as they prefer a dense forest as their habitat. If tigers were dwelling in the SGNP forest, they would have mauled the tribals. Tigers cannot stay in close proximity to human settlements, the way leopards can. The man must have seen a full-grown leopard."

http://www.mid-day.com/news/2011/nov/071111-Is-it-a-tiger-Is-it-a-leopard.htm

Nainital’s favourite big cat ready to head home

Nanital Zoo plans to keep the trophy inside the same enclosure where Rani used to stay when she was alive

The much-loved snow leopardess who died last year has been made into a lifelike trophy by taxidermist Santosh Gaikwad from Bombay Veterinary College and will be flown to Delhi soon

Virat A Singh

Posted On Wednesday, January 19, 2011 at 02:01:07 AM

Less than a year after Rani the snow leopardess died, Mumbai is all set to gift the Nanital Zoo an everlasting memory of her. Rani’s body was brought in to Mumbai from Nanital in April 2010.

Dr Santosh Gaikwad, a Mumbai-based taxidermist, has finished working on a trophy of Rani, which will be given to Nanital later this month.

Parag Madhukar Dhakate, Divisional forest officer of the Tarai Haldwani region in Uttarakhand, said, “Those visiting the Nainital zoo were emotionally attached to Rani who was the only snow leopard there.

“Hence, a decision was taken to convert her into a trophy after her death and now we are even planning to keep her trophy inside the same enclosure where she used to stay when alive.”

Dhakate, who visited the Maharashtra State Wildlife Taxidermy Centre at SGNP on Tuesday morning, felt the trophy was very lifelike. The trophy stands four feet tall and is six feet long. It weights around 80 kg.

Dhakate added that the trophy would be taken by flight to Delhi from where it will be taken to GB Pant High Altitude Zoo at Nainital.

Dr Gaikwad, who works as professor of anatomy at Bombay Veterinary College, said the job of making Rani’s trophy was not a cakewalk.

Despite having made around 50 trophies of various animals - ranging from lions to elephants - Gaikwad said it was a challenge to make sure Rani’s looked real and the proportions were the same.

“Another problem was that the skin on the leopard’s body had lost a lot of fur, despite being preserved for months,” he said, “Most of the skin had bundled up. I had to conduct a lot of chemical procedures on the coat to ensure there was no further loss of fur and it looked fresh.”

Gaikwad started making the trophy in July, three months after Rani’s death and completed the task in December.

Gaikwad said he was happy with the creative freedom given to him by the Uttarakhand forest officials.

“I gave it a standing pose, with front limbs elevated on the rocks. This trophy is also special as all its sharp claws have been retained, as per the wish of the forest officials,” he added.

http://www.mumbaimirror.com/article/2/2011011920110119020106981c5ef4be8/Nainital%E2%80%99s-favourite-big-cat-ready-to-head-home.html

Nainital’s favourite big cat ready to head home

Nanital Zoo plans to keep the trophy inside the same enclosure where Rani used to stay when she was alive

The much-loved snow leopardess who died last year has been made into a lifelike trophy by taxidermist Santosh Gaikwad from Bombay Veterinary College and will be flown to Delhi soon

Virat A Singh

Posted On Wednesday, January 19, 2011 at 02:01:07 AM

Less than a year after Rani the snow leopardess died, Mumbai is all set to gift the Nanital Zoo an everlasting memory of her. Rani’s body was brought in to Mumbai from Nanital in April 2010.

Dr Santosh Gaikwad, a Mumbai-based taxidermist, has finished working on a trophy of Rani, which will be given to Nanital later this month.

Parag Madhukar Dhakate, Divisional forest officer of the Tarai Haldwani region in Uttarakhand, said, “Those visiting the Nainital zoo were emotionally attached to Rani who was the only snow leopard there.

“Hence, a decision was taken to convert her into a trophy after her death and now we are even planning to keep her trophy inside the same enclosure where she used to stay when alive.”

Dhakate, who visited the Maharashtra State Wildlife Taxidermy Centre at SGNP on Tuesday morning, felt the trophy was very lifelike. The trophy stands four feet tall and is six feet long. It weights around 80 kg.

Dhakate added that the trophy would be taken by flight to Delhi from where it will be taken to GB Pant High Altitude Zoo at Nainital.

Dr Gaikwad, who works as professor of anatomy at Bombay Veterinary College, said the job of making Rani’s trophy was not a cakewalk.

Despite having made around 50 trophies of various animals - ranging from lions to elephants - Gaikwad said it was a challenge to make sure Rani’s looked real and the proportions were the same.

“Another problem was that the skin on the leopard’s body had lost a lot of fur, despite being preserved for months,” he said, “Most of the skin had bundled up. I had to conduct a lot of chemical procedures on the coat to ensure there was no further loss of fur and it looked fresh.”

Gaikwad started making the trophy in July, three months after Rani’s death and completed the task in December.

Gaikwad said he was happy with the creative freedom given to him by the Uttarakhand forest officials.

“I gave it a standing pose, with front limbs elevated on the rocks. This trophy is also special as all its sharp claws have been retained, as per the wish of the forest officials,” he added.

http://www.mumbaimirror.com/article/2/2011011920110119020106981c5ef4be8/Nainital%E2%80%99s-favourite-big-cat-ready-to-head-home.html