May 3rdmarks International Leopard Day and one of the best places to see leopard conservation in action is Khwai Private Reserve (KPR) in Botswana’s Okavango Delta. Leopards are among the numerous predators found in the exclusive reserve and our team on the ground works hard to keep them safe.
The leopard (Panthera pardus) is a remarkably adaptable big cat, with the eight subspecies occurring across sub-Saharan and northeast Africa, Central Asia, India and China. The habitats they live in vary hugely from mountains to jungles and even cities – they have the widest geographic range of any big cat (Guynup, 2024).
They’re solitary and elusive creatures, making them one of the most enthralling sightings for safari-goers. Despite being so enigmatic and indeed the most resilient of the big cats, their populations are unfortunately decreasing, and they’re currently classed as Vulnerable by the IUCN. In fact, the IUCN believe they may now be extinct in 26 countries that they were once found in. The primary threats they face are loss of habitat, human-wildlife conflict, trophy hunting and poaching. As one of the top predators in their habitat, leopards are vital to their ecosystems. Their predation keeps herbivore populations in check – particularly antelopes, preventing overgrazing which in turn allows vegetation to thrive and supports the overall health of the ecosystem.
The plight of the leopard isn’t immediately obvious to guests in Khwai Private Reserve though, until they begin to engage with the conservation efforts that are underway.
Our work with the leopards here began in 2017 with our Leopard Habituation Project. This project was necessary because the reserve had previously been used for hunting, so the wildlife required some reassurance that no one was going to try to shoot them anymore. Our team needed to habituate them to the presence of humans and safari vehicles ensuring they no longer considered either a threat.
“During the transition from hunting safaris to photographic safaris, many of the animals on the concession were skittish,” recalls Gofiwa Thebenala, the reserve’s Head Ranger. “To address this, it was agreed that the rangers would focus on habituating leopards and other wildlife, but with most of the focus on the leopards. All resident leopards are now successfully habituated and comfortable around guests.”
For those who visit KPR and spend time in one of the lodges here: Tuludi, Sable Alley, Little Sable, Skybeds and Elephant Pan, the predator action is a huge draw, however the high predator numbers pose a threat to the reserve’s leopards. With the lion population increasing, the leopards are being crowded into a concentrated area, where normally they’d have more space. Alas, there’s nothing we can do about this situation beyond monitoring.
Another threat to the reserve’s leopards is snares. Thus far no leopards have been caught in snares, but other species have, and our team must be particularly alert in looking for snares during the grass cutting season when community members come in to cut grass in the reserve.
Being aware of these threats allows us to mitigate them as much as possible, taking care of Khwai Private Reserve’s leopard population. We currently have 11 leopards in the concession, each of whom is well habituated – particularly the females, and they all have their own territories. Closest to Little Sable is the female Acacia and her two cubs, while Mathata and her cub can be found in the Sable Alley area. In the region around Tuludi, you might see Nicky and her two cubs or Khuhle and her cub. The presiding male meanwhile is called Rra Tsebe and he could be seen virtually anywhere!
“Nicky is also affectionately referred to as Mosadimogolo which means ‘old lady’,” notes Gofiwa. “She’s the oldest leopard on the concession and was one of the first to be habituated when the photographic safaris began in 2017. At the onset of her habituation, she had a male cub named Nicolas who’s now left the reserve. Khuhle is another cub of Nicky’s from 2019. She’s also well habituated and currently has a cub of her own. Two years ago, Nicky had two more cubs named Bella and Rra Dijo who can still be seen near Tuludi with their mother and are very happy with guests around.”
A very high percentage of visitors to the reserve see the leopards, and many become so invested in the individuals that they’re keen to take things a step further with the Khwai Private Reserve Ranger Experience.
“We take pride in the fact that guests visiting Khwai Private Reserve have a high chance of spotting leopards during their stay,” smiles the head guide. “While it is possible for some guests to leave without seeing a leopard, we estimate that 9 out of 10 guests will see them. The Ranger Experience is the best way to get involved and have first-hand experience on how we habituate the leopards.”
The Ranger Experience allows guests to help a specialist team track, capture data and patrol. The experience begins before dawn and guests will spend up to 6 hours tracking and identifying a variety of predators including leopards. If time allows there’ll also be the opportunity to check in on some of the reserve’s conservation projects along the way. This work all goes towards building a bigger picture of the reserve’s predators and informs the team on how best to manage and protect them. For leopards sightings before other guests have even woken from their slumber – this is the activity for you.