Remember that “bloodbath” in Betty’s Bay? You know the one, where the leopard slaughtered 33 penguins in 15 minutes? Well, local resident Van As Jordaan saw the suspect in his garden and caught the magnificent creature on camera.
While the leopard only ate two of the 30 birds, many residents were on the side of the leopard, welcoming it back into its natural habitat. But others wanted it removed – because, save the penguins.
But what about all the fish the penguins eat?
CapeNature did, however, announce increased protection of the endangered African penguins that live at Stony Point in Betty’s Bay, in the form of random dog patrols in aid of defensive scent marking, as well as camera traps to remotely monitor areas.
You see, while leopards need to be protected, so do the birds as Stony Point is one of the largest breeding grounds of the African penguin in the world – and has been showing signs of an increase in breeding pairs while other colonies show a steady decline.
Established in 1982, there was a period between the 1980s and 1990s when more than 100 birds were predated by a leopard. I would have to suspect that all these fires have caused the wild animals to descend.
Anyways, here’s the leopard in all its glory:
[source: traveller24]
