Saving Leopards Central to Doctoral Thesis

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Saving leopards was the thrust of the thesis by Dr Julien Fattebert who graduated with a PhD in Biology.  Fattebert’s unique and challenging research examined the spatial ecology of a leopard population recovering from over-harvest; a study which could greatly impact the design of leopard conservation in southern Africa. 

Fattebert is from Switzerland and completed his undergrad studies and Master’s research at the University of Neuchatel. His interest in studying in the field of Biology stems from his appreciation for the aesthetic beauty of life, its complexity and diversity, yet its coherence at all levels, from molecular processes within individual cells to ecosystem functioning. 

His passion for biology led to him becoming involved with the MunYaWana Leopard Project, funded by New-York based NGO Panthera, which focuses on the conservation of wild felids. The organisation supported the previous PhD student on the project, Dr Guy Balme, who studied at UKZN under Professor Rob Slotow and Dr Luke Hunter.  

‘When I approached Panthera to join their project, they naturally suggested that I would study under the same supervisors, which for me was an obvious choice too. My supervisors’ support was invaluable; they were always there to assist me when I needed it,’ said Fattebert.

‘Julien’s work is the most comprehensive and sophisticated investigation of leopard socio-spatial ecology ever undertaken,’ said Hunter. 

‘With a formidable sample of 74 radio-collared leopards, he was able to shine a light on some of the least known aspects of their ecology, including their ability to navigate un-protected areas. He showed that leopards are capable of traveling vast distances and that Maputaland’s leopard population has connections into Mozambique and Swaziland.

 ‘Indeed, one of his most important results demonstrates the need to conserve this three-country region as a single, interconnected population. His work will directly impact our ability to successfully conserve leopards in this landscape and elsewhere in Africa.’

Balme’s seminal study of the leopard population provided a strong backdrop for Fattebert’s research, and Fattebert credits Balme and Hunter for making it possible for him to join Panthera’s project. Dr Hugh Robinson of Panthera also provided useful brainstorming and advice to assist Fattebert’s initiation of the spatial analyses. 

‘The project had focused on demographics of the leopard population in the Mkhuze-Phinda complex, and I used the entire 11-year telemetry data set to address spatial ecology questions,’ said Fattebert. ‘In particular, I focused on dynamics and density-dependence of the social organisation of adult leopards and of the dispersal patterns of sub-adult leopards.

‘I demonstrated through my research that under increasing population density, female leopards reduce the size of their territory to accommodate their daughter, forming matrilineal clusters of related kin. Males on the other hand, maintained their space-use patterns under increasing density, in order to increase mating opportunities while overlapping females’ territories.’ 

Fattebert recorded the longest dispersal to date in the species during his two and a half years of data collection in the field, with a sub-adult male covering nearly 200 kilometres as the crow flies from Phinda to northern Swaziland. He then modelled landscape suitability and connectivity for leopard dispersal, using it as a tool to identify an area of potential human-leopard conflicts which need to be monitored in order to maintain landscape functionality for the species. 

Studying these elusive animals proved challenging for Fattebert. ‘You end up working odd hours when you track them and capturing and collaring leopards is difficult, but I was fortunate enough to work alongside my mentor, field co-ordinator Tristan Dickerson, whose experience made it easier to capture them. I often lost contact with many leopards for periods of time. Fortunately, GPS collar technology enabled us to retrieve the data even when leopards dispersed dozens of kilometres away from their natal populations overnight. 

Said Slotow: ‘Julien generated a remarkable dataset, and identified landscapes important for leopards to successfully cross between populations. Hunting negatively affected their social patterns, including territory creation and dispersal. He developed our understanding of sustainability and viability of the population for conservation and hunting, which will help conservation of other species.’

 Fattebert will remain at UKZN for another year to do post-doctorate research under the supervision of Slotow. He will continue using the data collected in the field as well as working on other dataset to address spatial ecology questions relevant to the conservation and management of wildlife. 

He hopes to continue collaborating on projects based in Africa and South Africa in particular. ‘My field years in the bush here are among my fondest memories.’  

Fattebert’s PhD research forms part of a broader leopard conservation project aimed at improving understanding of leopard spatial ecology and dispersal in order to refine conservation strategies and assist in conservation planning that accounts for population linkages through dispersal. 

-          Christine Cuénod