The end of May marked the end of the cameras being placed in section E of the study area, also marking the halfway point of the initial study in this area. A total of 21 leopard images were captured by the 13cameras in place. Three of the images are unidentifiable due to blurring or too much flash etc. We are unable to positively identify two of the images however strongly suspect that at least one of these is MS22 the young sub adult male we regularly experience visuals of. Of the 16 images that were positively identified were majority male. Only four of the images taken were of FS40, a female we have photographed infrequently in the previous section (see below). It seems this area may be more the heart of her territory with its boundary being the boundry of section D. One image was of MS22 and one of Lucky, one of our resident males. The remaining 10 images were all of Black Tip, who i am sure you will all know is injured badly after being caught in a snare. In the ten months we have been study this area we have photographed this large male in every section but only every few weeks. Therefore it is unusual to photograph him so frequently in the same area over a period of weeks. The most likly explanation is that he is unable to travel the large distances he once covered at prescence due to weakness the injury is causing. Thelast picture we have ofBlack tip was the 24th Mayand we may not get more.
Written by Emma Loader, Ingwe Researcher
The end of May marked the end of the cameras being placed in section E of the study area, also marking the halfway point of the initial study in this area. A total of 21 leopard images were captured by the 13cameras in place. Three of the images are unidentifiable due to blurring or too much flash etc. We are unable to positively identify two of the images however strongly suspect that at least one of these is MS22 the young sub adult male we regularly experience visuals of. Of the 16 images that were positively identified were majority male. Only four of the images taken were of FS40, a female we have photographed infrequently in the previous section (see below). It seems this area may be more the heart of her territory with its boundary being the boundry of section D. One image was of MS22 and one of Lucky, one of our resident males. The remaining 10 images were all of Black Tip, who i am sure you will all know is injured badly after being caught in a snare. In the ten months we have been study this area we have photographed this large male in every section but only every few weeks. Therefore it is unusual to photograph him so frequently in the same area over a period of weeks. The most likly explanation is that he is unable to travel the large distances he once covered at prescence due to weakness the injury is causing. Thelast picture we have ofBlack tip was the 24th Mayand we may not get more. 
Written by Emma Loader, Ingwe Researcher
Posts
0 comments:
Post a Comment