Predation is one of the greatest challenges with antelope reintroductions. Ideally in healthy ecosystems, all living things live in harmony in a sustainable fashion. We call this biodiversity. Sadly when conserving rare and endangered antelope we sometimes have to interfere with this healthy balance, predators are part of the ecosystem but when numbers of vulnerable species are reduced to critically low numbers predation can be the tipping point between survival and local extinction.

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Animals that have been bred generationally in zoos are naïve to predation. Likewise In disturbed ecosystems, some antelope species become vulnerable.  Management interventions require the removal of predators causing disturbance to the natural biodiversity balances.

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Whether it is roan from Europe to Eswatini or bongo from USA to the slopes of Mount Kenya predators are a problem.

Using drones with thermo imaging technology we identified a beautiful leopard in a camp with a rare herd of antelope. We had to catch this noble creature who normally would play a critical role in a healthy ecosystem and remove it to a safe area where it could predate common species.