The Jobedi Leopards

Seeing a Leopard in the wild is perhaps the most wonderful experience one could ever have. Draped over a tree branch or crossing a road.  They are arguably the most beautiful of the cat species.  Killing machines, stock raiders, Ghost of the Bushveld, call them what you like, but it is of these animals that we know so little about in the Waterberg area. 

Mayambo

Mayambo, (meaning “The Beginning” in Malawian) on the 10th August 2003.  Since we were “new” in the game he was promptly taken to the renowned De Wildt Cheetah & Wildlife Sanctuary where he was fitted with a radio tracking collar. At this time, GPS satellite tracking was unheard off in animal behaviour studies and was the only suitable option available.  DNA samples were collected and sent to Pretoria University for future research.   This magnificent Leopard measured 2,35 meters from head to tip of tail with a shoulder height of 67cm, making him a “Super Cat” as often referred to by many a professional hunter in the then Rhodesia area known as the Matopos Hills. Mayambo was released back onto Jobedi on the 18th August 2003.  Mayambo was again caught on the 1st June 2005 (whether by luck or good fortune) it does not matter, whereby the radio collar was removed and replaced by a GPS collar which enable us to track and monitor his activities more accurately for the next couple of years.  The battery pack has since expired and our attempts to recapture him have failed.  All indications of spoor and sightings show however that he is still alive and well and is the father of many leopard cubs as our  research has indicated.

    

Gobetse

Our second capture in 2004 was a female leopard which we decided to name Gobetse The name means the “Injured One” as she had been injured after a failed hunting attempt on a Red Hartebeest. Gobetse was also fitted with a GPS collar and released subsequent to the recovery. Unfortunately her signal was lost in 2005 and we fear she had been poisoned or shot.  We have not been able to recover her body nor the collar in order to ascertain the reason for her disappearance; however her loss was mourned by all.

Symawi

As a means to console our broken hearts, young Symawi was captured on the 17th June 2005. Symawi appeared to be lactating at the time of her capture and thus we had hoped to capture one or more of her cubs by baiting a cage trap using her as the lure.  On the 18th June 2005 we caught a young female cub “Mashudu” (the lucky one) and brought her to the holding pens.  The young cub, exhibited actions that resembled a youngster recognising his Mothers presence, by rolling over at the entrance of Symawi’s cage, we then put the two leopards together.  In July 2005 Symawi was fitted with a GPS collar and both her and Mashudu were released back into the wild a few days later.  Unfortunately Symawis’s signal was lost in August but her tracks can still be found. Mashudu was not collared due to her young age.

Another young female leopard was captured on the 18th of June 2005 at Le Thabo, a neighboring reserve. Senya, “the naughty one”, was between two and three years of age. She killed three ostriches thus leading up to her capture. Senya was was not collard given her young age. Unfortunately after relocation to the Cape Province, Senya died due to heat exhaustion.

    

Umute

Umute "the tall one" was captured in 2005 and fitted with a GPS collar.  In 2006 she was recaptured along with 2 cubs of which Mayambo was believed to be the father.  At her second capture she was fitted with a new GPS collar.  In October 2007 Umute was caught again for the 3rd time and fitted again with a new GPS collar.  Her signal was lost in December 2007, however she is still roaming free in the reserve as many sightings have been recorded.

Ntwa & Metshameko 

Two young cubs that were caught on the 18th & 19th October 2007 named Ntwa & Metshameko "the naughty one" and  " the playfull one" were also released at the same time as Umute .  Both cubs were to young to be collared and after releasing them several sightings of kills and spoor have been recorded.  The latest visual sighting of the two cubs were on the 9th August and they appear to be fit and prosperous.

Taemane 

Staff of Jobedi discovered that there is a new male on the block when we caught a 6 year old male on the 10th January 2008.  A company called Winterstone sponsored his collar and named him Taemane  "Diamand" and he was released back onto Jobedi on the 2nd February 2008.   He roams the whole of Jobedi and has made the southern part of the reserve his territory as well as many of the neighbouring farms. On the 13th June 2009 Taemane was caught again on a neighbouring farm and it was discovered that he needed two root canal treatments on his left top and bottom canine.  He received the root-canal treatment on the 2nd July 2009 at Onderstepoort from dr. Gerhard Steenkamp.  We released Taemane on the 10th August 2009 without a collar in the same area where he was caught for the 2nd time.

Mohlatsi

On the 24^th May 2008 an emergency operation was performed on Mohlatsi "The Lucky One". Due to the cruel nature of these  snaes underlying damages is not always obvious and eventual necrosis and infection of the wound set in.  He was put under general anaesthesia and was operated on while on intravenous cardiovascular support.  Extensive "cutting" away of the wound tissue and skin was done and skin edges were brought together as accurately as possible.  Unfortunately the tail tip needed amputation as well due to complete necrosis and risk infection.  Mohlatsi has fully recovered and thanks to all the Mohlatsi sponsors that made it possible to order a new upgraded collar from the UK.  The collar arrived on the 15th November 2008 and Mohlatsi was collared on the 19th November 2008.  The big day of releasing was on the 22nd November 2008 !!!!

Mpho

In May 2008 Nature conservation brought a leopard female to Jobedi who was caught on a cattle farm close by.  With thanks to Leopard Conservation Project (LCP) who sponsored the GPS collar for Mpho "the gift" she is now roaming on Ka’Ingo Private Game Reserve, outside of Vaalwater.

Scar