Our hills have leopard eyes!

Writer: Sarah Taylor.

It’s confirmed: we are fortunate in Hermanus to have, as neighbours, a family of Cape Mountain Leopards. In the last two months, four sightings of the elusive felines have been picked up from remote motion-sensor field cameras in Fernkloof Nature Reserve, which contains part of the dramatic Kleinriviersberg, which soars to Maanskynkop at almost 1000m and plunges through rich, indigenous forests and across golden beaches into the Atlantic Ocean.

This image of a young Cape Mountain Leopard cub, estimated to be about 14 – 16 months old, was ‘captured’ by a remote field camera in Fernkloof Nature Reserve in the past month.

PHOTO: Landmark Foundation/Vogelgat

The images were taken by three remote, motion-sensor-activated cameras set up in Fernkloof by the Landmark Foundation, a Riversdale-based non-governmental organisation, which focuses on the conservation of leopards and protection of the environment. Some of the images are clearer than others; some are just the blurry flash of a whisker as the elegant and curious creature passed by the camera. Other animals ‘captured’ on camera include honey badgers, baboons and small buck.

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