Shiluweni, the 'toothless' wonder survives again!

Morning drive was running smoothly and Rene and I located Shiluweni, the collared male leopard (Panthera pardus), easily. He was lying relaxed in the bush and everything seemed normal with him…he was his usual sleepy self! However, as we continued with our drive we heard a game drive vehicle calling Kobus, the reserve manager, to inform him that Shiluweni was limping and had injured his right leg. Kobus immediately drove to where Shiluweni was to evaluate his condition and decide on the next steps to take. His conclusion was that his injuries were severe enough to require veterinary treatment and so Dr. Peter Rogers, the local wildlife vet, was called out. Kobus also called Rene to ask that GVI be there in order to track Shiluweni and help with his darting and aftercare.

So at 4 pm Rene, Sandra and I met Kobus, Dr. Rogers and his assistants and we started teleming to track him down. We found him not far from where we left him in the morning and drove into position to give Dr. Rogers a clear shot with which to dart him. Seeing a darting was an unforgettable experience! Dr. Rogers was a perfect shot and Shiluweni jumped up and tried to run when the dart entered his shoulder, but soon the drugs started to take effect and he was rendered immobile. We rushed in, hauled him onto a stretcher and then onto the back of the vehicle to relocate him to a quarantine boma for treatment and recuperation. It was amazing to be so close to such an incredible creature. He is a beautiful animal and the fact that leopards are inherently elusive made the experience all the more special. We watched on as Dr. Rogers and his assistants treated his injuries. His right shoulder was badly wounded, with a number of puncture wounds that had separated the skin from the tissue. There was a lot of swelling and his right hip was also wounded, requiring stitches. It was concluded from the pattern of his injuries that he had been in a fight with another male leopard, and due to the fact that Shiluweni has no canines (they were removed after becoming severely infected last year), he came off the worst. Being so close to him really brought home is size and strength. His paws are huge – easily as big as a female lion(Panthera leo) and his fur is surprisingly soft!

After being cleaned up and dosed with a concoction of antibiotics and painkillers, he was moved into the boma and left to begin his recovery. We wanted to monitor him closely throughout the evening to ensure he woke up from the anaesthetic and so we returned to base to pick up a spotlight and some warm blankets for our stay. On the way back to the boma we came across two honey badger(Mellivora capensis) running in the road which was another fantastic sighting! We sat with Shiluweni for the rest of the evening, periodically checking his movements with the spotlight. During the night we were paid a visit by Giggles and Tiya, two of the female hyena (Crocuta crocuta), who were obviously attracted to the boma by the smell of an unfamiliar leopard! It was another great sighting that rounded off an extraordinary day that I was privileged to have been a part of and that I will never forget.

Faye Thompson, Intern, UK

Shiluweni, the 'toothless' wonder survives again!