Just beyond the southern boundary of the newly proclaimed 121,000 ha Garden Route National Park (GRNP) (which encompasses much of the range of the Knysna elephants I study), I have initiated the Coastal Leopard – Mammal Diversity Project.

It is vitally important that landscapes bordering unfenced protected conservation areas (such as the GRNP) are monitored, the wildlife populations surveyed, and the human impact in these areas understood. Detrimental impacts such as poaching and inappropriate land use on bordering lands in turn impact negatively on the protected area. Alternately, the creation of ecological corridors in bordering lands, linking protected areas, maintains genetic interchange vital to the overall health of wildlife and the land itself.

Initially the Coastal Leopard – Mammal Diversity Project began as a small leopard pilot project to document presence of leopard outside the southern boundary of the GPNP. This was undertaken in part by setting up remote cameras. I quickly realised that the cameras subsequent photographs, were giving me a unique and non-invasive insight into the greater ‘picture’ of wildlife existing beyond the southern boundary of the GRNP.

Since the inception of the initial leopard pilot project December (2008) and of the broader project (April 2009) a variety of mammals have been photographed including caracal, honey badger, porcupine, bushbuck and bushpig.

In addition, the camera’s recorded bird species such as fierynecked nightjar, black crow, and forktailed drongo.

The cameras have also recorded the presence of poacher’s hunting dogs, and two of my remote cameras are suspected to have been stolen/removed by poachers.

How you can help this project.

Additional remote cameras, for example, are required to record mammal diversity in the project area, to obtain photographic evidence of coastal leopard presence, to identify these individuals and to determine the extent of their ranges.

To assist please contact The Gareth Patterson Wildlife Foundation at gpwf@uninet.co.za