Cape Town – In a historic conservation milestone, a leopard has been photographed in the West Coast National Park for the first time in 170 years.
South African National Parks (SANParks) said this landmark sighting marks the natural return of the species to South Africa’s coastal landscapes — a powerful sign of ecological recovery.
“The leopard had been extirpated as a species in the mid-1800s, and only in the last while naturally returned,” said SANParks in a statement made available to The Bulrushes.
“The image, captured by a remote camera trap, confirms that this elusive predator has recolonised a region from which it had long been absent.”
The discovery is the result of a collaborative effort between Landmark Leopard and Predator Project, and SANParks, together with the University of the Western Cape, Saldanha Bay Municipality, and multiple private landowners, working together to monitor and protect the country’s recovering leopard populations.
The project has been running for the last few years on the West Coast between Cape Town and the Berg River.
SANParks said conservationists attribute this extraordinary return to a combination of factors, including coordinated efforts by NGOs and conservation authorities, and progressive changes in land use.
This includes the development of conservation areas such as the West Coast National Park.
Other factors that have had a positive impact include protective environmental legislation as well as a growing tolerance and coexistence between local communities and wildlife.
Over the past two decades, The Landmark Leopard and Predator Project and other stakeholders has worked to restore ecological corridors and reconnect fragmented habitats across the Western, Eastern, and Northern Cape.
“These efforts have allowed wildlife like leopards to move more freely and safely through the landscape,” SANParks said.
“A critical component to these efforts is tolerance and coexistence of landowners and the implementation of wildlife protection legislation, which has been evident in the area.”
SANParks said the return of the leopard to the West Coast National Park underscores the success of long-term conservation partnerships and highlights the importance of continued collaboration to ensure this remarkable recovery endures.
“This result is worthy of celebration,” SANParks said.
