Leopards have returned to South Africa’s West Coast after more than 170 years, with conservationists recording a group of seven, including two cubs, in the region.
The rare sighting marked the return of the big cats to a landscape that has undergone significant environmental changes since leopards disappeared from the area.
Dr Jeannine McManus of the Landmark Rewilding Trust described the development as a landmark conservation event, noting that the leopard was the last free-roaming apex predator across much of its South African range.
The return followed decades of habitat changes and the expansion of conservancies and eco-estates, which conservationists said had created more suitable spaces for wildlife.
However, the development has raised concerns among livestock farmers, who fear that an increase in leopard numbers could lead to attacks on sheep and other livestock.
Farmers already face losses from smaller predators, including caracals.
Livestock farmer Julian Melck said the killing of sheep by predators caused both emotional and financial distress.
Conservation groups are working with farmers to reduce livestock losses through measures including compensation schemes.
Although the seven leopards do not yet constitute a viable population, conservationists said their presence represented a rare sign of wildlife recovery in a region where the species had been absent for generations.
Africanews
