A majestic leopard was spotted in the mountains near Montagu on Wednesday afternoon [July 29], reports the Cape Leopard Trust.
The predator can be seen stalking a klipspringer on a rocky slope when it is photographed at the Wolwehoek Private Reserve. “What an amazing privilege!” the Trust said.
“The leopard is the apex (top) predator in the fynbos mountains of the Cape, and thus plays a key role in maintaining the mountain ecosystem in terms of prey numbers and the abundance behaviour and densities of smaller predators. In this sense the leopard is a so-called umbrella species – conserving the leopard is essential to conserving other local species as well as the leopards’ prey base,” the Trust said.
The leopards’ mountain habitat also serves as crucial water catchment area for urban and agricultural use, and conserving leopards thus leads to broader habitat conservation additional to species-only conservation.
“The leopard is an iconic and well-loved species, and it can be effectively used to create awareness and educate the public on important matters like biodiversity and environmental conservation.”
Picture: Pixabay