Primate and Predator Project

Primate and Predator Project Based in the Soutpansberg Mountains of South Africa, we are focused on conservation and ecology of primates and predators.

The project is supported by Durham University in the UK and the Earthwatch Institute. Welcome to the Primate and Predator Project. We are based in the Western Soutpansberg Mountains, Limpopo Province, South Africa. Our research is structured around three key themes:

(i) To assess the role of mountainous regions in biodiversity conservation

(ii) The behavioural ecology of predator-prey interactio

ns focusing on diurnal primates and their predators as a model system

(iii) Evaluating the nature and extent of human-wildlife conflict within the Soutpansberg Mountains

PPP recently attended and presented at the 2nd .wcrc annual conference on its work and plans moving forward. We just wan...
25/05/2026

PPP recently attended and presented at the 2nd .wcrc annual conference on its work and plans moving forward. We just want to say thank you to the .wcrc team for an awesome conference and all the work you guys put in to make it happen. Onwards and Upwards.

photo credit: Michelle Hurley

PPP just finished deploying an extended camera trap grid with the Panthera team in the northern parts of the Western Sou...
11/05/2026

PPP just finished deploying an extended camera trap grid with the Panthera team in the northern parts of the Western Soutpansberg. This grid is running simultaneously with PPP's long-term monitoring grid that operates in the South of the Western Soutpansberg region. While we wait on the findings (and hope for lots of leopard captures), here are some of PPP's best captures from the last camera check that was completed towards the end of April.

Cover: from the Panthera team.

Species photos:
Photo 1 - 2:
Photo 3 -4:
Photo 5 - 7:
Photo 8 - 9: Private





Today we celebrate World Leopard Day, highlighting these magnificant cats that occupy many of the worlds terrestrial hab...
03/05/2026

Today we celebrate World Leopard Day, highlighting these magnificant cats that occupy many of the worlds terrestrial habitats, from wet jungles to dry semi-deserts and savanna expanses to mountain tops. Here in the Soutpansberg leopards are the apex predator and play a vital role in regulating prey species, influencing smaller predators and primates, and creating carrion for various scavengers. Unfortunately, leopards are increasingly at risk in this landscape with shrinking viable habitat, diminished prey populations, and regular exposure to a variety of threats from snaring to unregulated hunting.

To celebrate the Soutpansberg leopards, here are some leopard photos we recorded during our last camera trap service.

Here in the Soutpansberg, wildlife are increasingly being killed by vehicles on the roads as they move between adjacent ...
05/04/2026

Here in the Soutpansberg, wildlife are increasingly being killed by vehicles on the roads as they move between adjacent properties, looking for food, mates, and their own territories. The .wcrc team found this deceased female leopard this morning, a stark reminder about the risks that wildlife face and an absolute waste of one of South Africa's iconic species. Please keep an eye-out when driving, particularly at dusk, dawn, and during the night.



Photo Credit: .wcrc

During our most recent camera check in the Soutpansberg, we managed to record this series of photos depicting two leopar...
06/03/2026

During our most recent camera check in the Soutpansberg, we managed to record this series of photos depicting two leopards mating. These photos were captured on privately owned land that is not under formal protection, again highlighting the importance of wildlife, crop, and livestock farms for many species in South Africa, including leopards that are currently listed as Vulnerable in South Africa.

For this World Wildlife Day, we celebrate the incredible biodiversity of the Soutpansberg with a selection of some of ou...
03/03/2026

For this World Wildlife Day, we celebrate the incredible biodiversity of the Soutpansberg with a selection of some of our favourite photos recorded during the last camera trap service. Across the 11 properties in the Soutpansberg mountains where PPP operates, we continued to record a diversity of small and medium mammals that occupy this unique area. We have now optimised our camera trapping protocol by redeploying updated cameras, fine-tuning our camera placement, and testing out new data collection protocols that aim to improve both in-field captures and streamline data processing.



Photo 1 - 3 :
Photo 4 - 6:
Photo 7: Private
Photo 8 - 10:

PPP's Research Coordinator and Field Manager, Alexander Botha, recently published a new article on the striped hyena, a ...
27/02/2026

PPP's Research Coordinator and Field Manager, Alexander Botha, recently published a new article on the striped hyena, a sister taxa of the local Brown Hyena found in the Soutpansberg. The paper provides population baselines for multiple areas in Saudi Arabia, a region that has lacked population estimates before now. Additionally, it discusses interactions with top-order predators as well as both wild and domestic prey species in the region. Although in its initial phases, PPP plans to conduct similar analyses on the predators of the Soutpansberg in the coming months.
Read the paper here: https://tinyurl.com/yc2fhzme

Image credit: Panthera and Royal Commission for AlUla

PPP recently spent some time at the in the Soutpansberg while checking camera traps in the area. While working in this ...
22/02/2026

PPP recently spent some time at the in the Soutpansberg while checking camera traps in the area. While working in this Afromontane forest we came across one of the Samango monkey troops that were helping themselves to some of the local delicasies. These primates are considered Vulnerable by the IUCN.

See some of the photos we managed to capture of these cute little primates that PPP has a long history of studying.

Credit: Alexander Botha

Although our work at PPP is largely focused on the primates and predators within the Soutpansberg, we took advantage of ...
20/01/2026

Although our work at PPP is largely focused on the primates and predators within the Soutpansberg, we took advantage of the weather in the last couple of weeks and managed to document some new records for birds in the area. See some of our best captures.

Photo Credit: Alex Botha

We at the Primate and Predator Project wish everyone a wonderful festive season and happy holidays. We are grateful for ...
25/12/2025

We at the Primate and Predator Project wish everyone a wonderful festive season and happy holidays. We are grateful for the support of all landowners in the Soutpansberg who actively work towards conserving the rich biodiversity of this unique area. We look forward to continued collaboration in 2026 and many more magnificant wildlife captures!

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Louis Trichardt

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