By Thalia Joubert
Workshop in collaboration with the Cape Leopard Trust
The final workshop for the Conservancy of 2025 took place on 12 November 2025 and was hosted in collaboration with the Cape Leopard Trust. The workshop was attended by members of the Conservancy, as well as participants from surrounding areas who were interested in the topic. It focused on the leopards of the Langeberg region.
This workshop was presented by Andrea Schnetler-Niddrie and Chavoux Luyt, who shared valuable insights on mitigating human-wildlife conflict, snare awareness and mitigation and correct livestock predator identification.
There was a strong participation from the audience, as many landowners have either spotted leopards on their properties or found scat and footprints indicating leopard movement through their land. Numerous photos were taken of the presentation slides, particularly those relating the behaviour of the leopards and caracals.
The aim of the workshop was to inform members about the challenges leopards face due to human activities, to encourage alertness in identifying and reporting snares and to motivate members to discuss snare awareness with their farm labourers. The workshop also provided guidance on the most effective and legally appropriate ways to respond when leopards negatively impact livestock, drawing on examples from previous farmers experiences.
The session began with discussion on leopard behaviour, followed by guidance on how to correctly identify whether a leopard was responsible for livestock losses. It concluded with an explanation of what constitutes a snare and the legislation surrounding snaring, as snaring is explicitly illegal.
The Conservancy hopes to expand the use of camera traps to better track leopard movements on our members’ farms and to obtain more photographic evidence. Another important resource highlighted was the snare hotline, which can be used to report live animals caught in snares. Members are encouraged to save the Snare Free Hotline number to their phones. If in doubt, contact the Conservancy for assistance, as we can connect you with the appropriate support networks.
Snare Free Hotline: 076 127 8485
