Panthera
Panthera’s Sabi Sand leopard research
Despite inhabiting a wide range of habitats, leopards are among the most persecuted big cats globally. Although often assumed to have a secure conservation status, illegal killings for their skins and other body parts, retaliatory killings due to human-wildlife conflict, and poorly regulated trophy hunting severely impact their numbers.
The Sabi Sand Nature Reserve is home to one of the highest densities of leopards found anywhere in the world. This global conservation success story is underpinned by a long-standing flagship research and monitoring project led by Panthera, making it the best-protected and best-studied leopard population worldwide. The well-protected environment and sensitive game-viewing practices have ensured an extremely relaxed demeanour in the leopards.
The Sabi Sand Leopard Project utilises the extensive experience of field guides to convert leopard sightings from photographic safaris into high-quality biological data. Here, leopards are individually identifiable, providing invaluable observations of their locations and behaviours collected daily. This data informs ecological, behavioural, and management questions, aiding conservation efforts in areas where leopards are under threat.
Key Successes
- The Sabi Sand Leopard Project combines long-term sightings and DNA data to track leopard populations over time, with over 850 life histories and 90,000 sightings recorded.
- Advances in DNA analysis are strengthening this work, allowing us to track family lineages, understand breeding success, and support wider efforts to combat illegal wildlife trade.
- Singita field guides continue to play a critical role in contributing to the Panthera sightings app, capturing valuable data on leopards and other carnivore species.
- Across the Sabi Sand Nature Reserve, this consistent effort results in over 20,000 sightings annually across approximately 30 species, providing a strong dataset for long-term monitoring. This long-term dataset has also enabled deeper ecological understanding, including how leopards respond to drought, showing improved hunting success for adults, but reduced cub survival, ultimately constraining population growth.
How can I support this project?
- USD 100 - Support the individual genetic profiling work for leopard scat of the Sabi Sand (for one DNA sample kit)
- USD 280: Remote-sensing camera for leopard surveys
- USD 80: Sponsor the “heritage” fur - a luxury synthetic fur replacement for real skins used in traditional, cultural ceremonies - which has reduced the demand for leopard skins by 50%, saving 18 000 leopards that would have been hunted for their skins through this initiative.
- USD 100: Leopard DNA sample kit + genetic profile
