The Conservation Manager of the Conservancy recently joined forces with the Endangered Wildlife Trust’s Drylands Conservation Programme, CapeNature’s Anysberg staff, and the Cape Leopard Trust to initiate an extensive camera trap survey on the farm Lettas Kraal in the Western Cape. Teams hiked an average of 14 km a day, and placed a total of 84 camera trap stations.
Camera traps are valuable tools for surveying landscapes for biodiversity in general, but are particularly useful for detecting elusive species not ordinarily seen on foot. Two such species are Leopards (Vulnerable) and the Riverine Rabbit (Critically Endangered), both of which occur on Lettas Kraal.
The cameras were set in the extremely icy conditions on the tail end of the mammoth cold front that recently passed over the Western Cape.
The EWT is working with CapeNature and Lettas Kraal to take this spectacular property through the process of being declared a Private Nature Reserve. The camera trap survey is part of the process to inventory species occurring on the property. This trip was an excellent learning activity on camera trap placement and the positive impact of collaboration.
Thanks to EWT for funding the trip!
