SCARLET…
Yesterday we were alerted to a dead leopard on Sefara Drive close to Sable dam in the park by Debbie Lee Fendick. A guide from Black Rhino Reserve had been the first person to discover the dead leopard and had called it in. Sadly, after getting to the scene, it was determined to indeed be a dead female leopard. There was one bite wound at her neck, and there was very little blood on the ground under the area where the wound was. Her body was stiff already, and she had a very thin body condition and moth-eaten ears. Lots of ticks on her as well. Her teeth were that of an older leopard – very yellow and chipped. No one saw what caused her death but due to the limited wounds and signs of struggle we can only surmise it was a lion or predator much larger than herself. It was a quick death by the looks of it. Once the images were posted it was determined that she was ‘Scarlet’, named so by the Leopard ID project that is privately run in Pilanesberg. She was estimated to have been around 12 years of age. Scarlet had a good, full life in Pilanesberg. Photos of her have been posted dating back to 2009 if memory serves. It’s always tragic when an animal dies, but this is the circle of life. Scarlet will always remain a special leopard to those who experienced her here in Pilanesberg. Thank you Gene Viljoen for your stunning images of Scarlet.
