Second pair of leopards released at Majete

A second pair of leopards from South Africa was released into the wild at Majete in mid-January, following on from the successful release of a male and female leopard last October.

The two leopards, a young male from Ohrigstad in Mpumalanga, and a young female from a nature reserve in Thabazimbi, arrived in Blantyre aboard a chartered Cessna Grand Caravan on the 21st of December. Accompanying vet Dr Andre Uys monitored both animals throughout their journey and they quickly settled into the holding bomas at Majete.

The leopards were released along the Mkulumadzi River in the north of the reserve after three weeks in quarantine - the male on January 12th and the female on January 13th - after being fitted with satellite and radio collars in order to track their movements.