A forum for leopard management has just been set up to help conserve leopards in the northern Limpopo Province.

The Soutpansberg-Mapungubwe Leopard Management Forum was established by a group of conservationists, scientists and members of the Limpopo Department of Economic Development, Environment and Tourism who are concerned about the management status of the leopard in northern Limpopo.

The leopard is an important draw card for ecotourism, is highly sought after by international hunters and is also a problem animal that causes loss of domestic animals and game. Little is known about the positive ecological role of leopard. Individuals are hunted legally and illegally by international and local clients for trophies and are also killed both legally and illegally as stock-raiding animals. Despite the heavy hunting pressure on the leopard and the increase in SITES hunting permits in 2005 from 40 to 50, no one knows how many leopards remain in the province and there is currently no satisfactory government management plan to ensure that the leopard is managed sustainably. Members of the forum are also concerned about the rate at which land use is being transformed from suitable to unsuitable areas for leopard.

The region covered by the forum extends from the Blouberg and Soutpansberg mountain ranges in the south up to the Limpopo River in the north and between the Mogalakwena River in the West and the N1 in the east. Its main objectives are to involve all stakeholders in the region in a discussion forum on leopard management, to publicize the sustainable management and conservation of leopard in the region and to make recommendations on leopard management to the National and Provincial Departments of Environmental Affairs and Tourism.

The Forum is managed by a Steering Committee representative of the De Wildt Cheetah and Wildlife Trust, the Endangered Wildlife Trust, the local scientific community, the commercial farming community, rural communities, hunters’ associations, provincial government and outside expertise (Article by Prof Ian Gaigher).