A decade of field knowledge and guide dedication has turned daily safari sightings into one of the most comprehensive leopard archives in the Okavango Delta.
The Wilderness Trust is proud to support the Chitabe Leopard ID Monitoring Project at Wilderness Chitabe in Botswana’s Okavango Delta, through the donation of GPS-enabled camera equipment to the camp’s field guides. The funding directly strengthens a leopard monitoring programme that has been quietly building, sighting by sighting, for more than a decade, and is now producing results of scientific significance.
A partnership rooted in purpose
The Wilderness Trust is an independent entity created to extend Wilderness’s reach and capacity to support deserving conservation initiatives, driving projects in wildlife research, conservation education, human-wildlife coexistence, and anti-poaching. The Chitabe Leopard ID Monitoring Project reflects both the Protect Impact pillar at the heart of Wilderness’ mission, and a relationship between Wilderness and Chitabe that stretches back more than 30 years.
’We are delighted to support the Chitabe Leopard ID Monitoring Project,’ said Vincent Shacks, Wilderness Group Head of Impact. ’This work represents exactly the kind of long-term, conservation effort we want to back. Wilderness has been working with Chitabe for more than 30 years, and to see that relationship translate into a dataset of genuine scientific value is something we are truly proud of. The long-term monitoring record being built here has direct conservation value and strong potential for collaborative research.’
A living archive built in the field
Chitabe has long been recognised as one of the Okavango Delta’s strongest leopard areas, and the concession’s guides, many of whom have spent decades in this landscape, have always held an extraordinary depth of knowledge about individual animals. What the Chitabe Leopard ID Monitoring Project has been doing is turning that knowledge into a structured, verifiable record.
Guides equipped with GPS-enabled cameras document every leopard sighting during game drives, recording each leopard’s identity alongside precise time, date, and location data. Back at camp, images are downloaded and added to a growing digital library of leopard IDs and georeferenced sightings. The result is an archive that now spans 12 years, covers 863 leopard sightings across 428 different days, and includes 64 known individual leopards.
This approach has produced one of the most comprehensive leopard monitoring databases in the Okavango Delta, documenting individual lineages, territories, and behaviour in a way that would be impossible without the consistent, long-term commitment of people who know this landscape intimately.
The guides behind the data
The real strength of the project, however, lies in its field team. Wilderness Chitabe has always been characterised by a close-knit, family-like culture, with many guides having worked in this concession for years and forming deep bonds with the wildlife and with each other. It is that constant presence, as well as the pride that guides take in contributing to the leopard library, that makes the archive what it is.
‘My favourite leopard is Rose. She is named after a beautiful Wilderness Air pilot, but the name carries another meaning too – the rosettes that pattern her golden coat. She is a master of survival, holding her own against big prides of lions and clans of hyenas. She has grown accustomed to vehicles and often gazes at guests with a captivating, inquisitive calm, making her a truly special photographic leopard,’ says Aaron Samunzala, Field Guide, Wilderness Chitabe.
The benefits extend well beyond data collection. As guides have deepened their knowledge of individual leopards – their behavioural traits, movement patterns, and personalities – they have become better equipped to respond appropriately in the field. When a particularly shy leopard is sighted, for example, a guide may choose not to approach immediately, allowing the animal to settle and grow accustomed to the presence of a single vehicle without unnecessary pressure. The result is a measurable improvement in the quality of sightings, particularly of more elusive animals.
A year-round destination for leopard sightings
One of the archive’s most encouraging findings is how evenly sightings are distributed across the year, with roughly half occurring in the wet season and half in the dry season. This suggests that guests have a similar chance of encountering a leopard at Chitabe regardless of when they visit.
The project has also significantly enhanced the guest experience. Through the growing database, guests are able to contribute their own photographs and video footage while learning about the histories, relationships, and family lineages of the leopards they encounter. Daily “Frame of the Day” updates and in-camp ID libraries mean that every sighting comes with context and story, deepening the connection between visitor and wildlife.
What comes next
Since the support of the Wilderness Trust, the project has already added 11 new leopard identifications to the database, along with more than 150 additional sightings and their associated data. A scientific paper on patterns of space sharing among Okavango Delta leopards is currently being prepared for publication, with all contributing guides to be acknowledged – a recognition of the central role they play in generating knowledge that benefits the broader conservation community.
An interactive digital platform is also in development and will bring together maps, spatial analyses, seasonal patterns, and a living leopard library, allowing users to explore individual leopards, their histories, and their family relationships. By combining science, storytelling, and visual exploration, the platform promises to transform a remarkable field archive into an even more powerful tool for understanding and protecting the leopards of Chitabe.
