Leopard dispersal across a fragmented landscape in the Western Cape, South Africa

Abstract

Leopard (Panthera pardus) dispersal is poorly documented. An amalgamation of independent, mixed-method camera trap data spanning six years provides evidence of male leopard dispersal across the highly fragmented Overberg region, Western Cape, South Africa. Dispersal distances from four individuals ranged from 35.3 to 112.0 km between the origin and destination datapoints. Leopard dispersal across the modified landscape affirms their adaptability and resilience and reveals local functional connectivity. We caution against population status complacency but rather advocate for maintaining and improving functional landscape connectivity for this umbrella species. This study, which collated piecemeal data from four sources, highlights the importance of collaboration and data sharing in conservation.