PPP

In the animal kingdom, juvenile & sub-adult individuals engage in play fighting to achieve various physiological & mental advantages, including enhanced muscular strength, refined coordination, and overall physical performance optimization.

We hope that your week hasn't been as busy as his!! The Primate and Predator Project wishes you a restful week-end😊

Here are three of the smallest leopard cubs that were captured on the PPP camera traps. These images were captured in 2020 & we are delighted that two of the three leopards shown here, are still alive. Cub mortality in leopards is extremely high due to a variety of reasons.

#Feline Friday presents a handsome, big, wild male leopard who roams the Western Soutpansberg mountains. The @PrimatePredator camera traps offer a privileged glimpse into the secret lives of these magnificent creatures, and we are extremely fortunate to be able to study them.

This thick-tailed bushbaby had a rather busy night, posing for @primate_predator camera traps. Bushbabies are known for a common behaviour they do called 'urine washing', whereby they coat their hands and feet in urine which can assist with grip when climbing. #wildlifeWednesday

This footage was taken from a 'scratch cam' that PPP had up. These camera traps were strategically placed at known leopard scratch trees. There are various reasons why leopards might scratch on trees & these include marking territory, maintaining their claws & scent communication

During COVID, PPP staff continued with the samango monkey behavioural observations, in an extremely quiet mountain. I was following the samango monkeys, in thick,tall vegetation. The samango monkeys burst out in alarm calls & I saw two crowned eagles flying overhead. Very special

This samango monkey looks like it is ready for the week-end😁 Happy week-end everyone from Primate and Predator Project. #samangomonkey #samangomonkeys #conservation #soutpansbergmountains #soutpansberg

All of these images were taken in a single day of fieldwork, starting off with maneuvering through kite spider webs, tip toeing over a horned baboon spider, admiring a beautiful Garden Commodore butterfly and ending off with a scorpion in the camera case. #Conservation #animals

It is always amazing to see how many different animals move past one camera station. This is a snapshot of some of the different species moving past a specific camera. Primate and Predator Project are extremely fortunate to work in such a beautiful, special location.

During this transition period we are exploring new opportunities for collaboration while looking for someone to take up Cyrintha’s role. We hope to have some updates for you very soon.

While we are incredibly sad to see them go, we wish them well on their international adventure as they take up new roles in the United Arab Emirates. Thank you for everything!

The end of an era! Cyrintha and Chris have been part of the Primate & Predator Project since 2018 and both have made enormous contributions to leading the project as well as becoming valuable and trusted members of the communities in the Soutpansberg Mountains.

It is always extremely exciting to arrive home after a long fieldday and see what animals the camera traps have managed to capture. Here is a sequence of a young leopard, in it's natural habitat, just being a leopard❤ #leopard #leopardlove #globalleopardconference #conservation

1/2...The Primate Predator Project permanent camera trapping grid is setup to optimize the capture of leopard images. The cameras are set at a specific height above the ground and placed across the landscape to maximise the possibilty of leopards passing by them.

2/2... However, we have other cameras placed temporarily in the field for smaller research projects. These cameras do not have hyena proof covers, so are placed higher up in the trees to prevent hyena damage. It is interesting to get another perspective on animals, from above.

It is always wonderful to catch up with previous Primate Predator Project research managers. Very special to have Chris and Andy in the Soutpansberg mountains again.

Primate Predator Project had the privalidge of attending & presenting at the 1st Alldays Wildlife Research Conference held at Makoppas Nest over the week-end. It was a great networking experience for managers & students. Thank you to AWCRC for organizing it.

Primate Predator Project have 30 permanent camera stations, across 12 properties in the Western Soutpansberg mountains. Primate Predator Project are extremely grateful to all of the landowners that continue to support the project. Thank you to each and everyone of you.