Morukuru Goodwill Foundation and Landmark Foundation join forces for leopard conservation in De Hoop Nature Reserve

Cape Town, 11 February 2025 – Morukuru Goodwill Foundation is honoured to announce its support and sponsorship for the Landmark Foundation’s Leopard Conservation Project in the CapeNature-managed De Hoop Nature Reserve.

The project, in collaboration with CapeNature, aims to deploy 31 camera trap stations across the reserve to monitor leopards and other mammal species, providing crucial insights into biodiversity, habitat use, and population health.

“This collaboration launches a vital initiative to monitor and protect leopards in one of South Africa’s most biodiverse regions. We are very grateful for the support and excited to have already gotten the project underway,” said Dr Bool Smuts, the Landmark Foundation’s General Manager.

In January 2025, the Landmark Foundation team, represented by Dr Smuts and Jeannine McManus, installed the first camera station near Morukuru Ocean House. These cameras, equipped with day-colour and night-infrared capabilities, are the first step in a long-term effort to balance conservation with sustainable eco-tourism.

“Leopards are keystone predators – crucial to maintaining ecological balance. By investing in this project, we are contributing to the protection of this species while also creating a platform for education and engagement,” said Ed Zeeman, Co-founder of Morukuru Family and the Morukuru Goodwill Foundation.

The leopard monitoring project will offer a unique eco-tourism experience for Morukuru Family guests staying at either Morukuru Ocean House or Morukuru Beach Lodge.

“As the project progresses, we look forward to offering our guests the chance to deepen their connection with De Hoop Nature Reserve’s extraordinary ecosystem. Guests will be able to participate in camera inspections with the Landmark Foundation’s team, view and interpret camera trap results, and attend presentations by Landmark Foundation experts, who will share their conservation insights and findings,” explained Zeeman.

De Hoop Nature Reserve, spanning over 34,000 hectares, is a refuge for South Africa’s wildlife. However, challenges like habitat isolation and limited genetic exchange threaten apex predators such as leopards.

“Insights gained from this project will guide efforts to create ecological corridors and mitigate human-wildlife conflict, ensuring the survival of leopards and many other mammals in the Overberg region,” Dr Smuts added. “The camera traps often reveal various animals – we expect other sightings such as caracal, honey badgers, porcupine and possibly even the elusive African wild cat.”

In the coming months, 30 additional camera trap stations will be installed, with Landmark Foundation regularly replacing SD cards and analysing spatial data through SECR and Bayesian modelling. This robust scientific approach builds on Landmark’s legacy of leopard conservation, spanning more than 20 years and over 74 leopard rescues.

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For more information, contact Marketing Manager, Rinse Wassenaar ([email protected])  

Landmark Foundation

Landmark Foundation’s mission is to conserve and protect South Africa’s wildlife, focusing on apex predators like the Leopard, whose plight is encompassed in the plight of other species and their habitats. We believe in a holistic approach that integrates science, community engagement, and policy advocacy to create sustainable ecosystems.
https://www.landmark.foundation/

Morukuru Family

Reconnecting family, friends, nature, and you, is the promise of Morukuru Family, a renowned award-winning hospitality group and a member of Relais & Châteaux. Morukuru Family’s three exclusive-use houses in Madikwe Game Reserve as well as Morukuru Ocean House in De Hoop Nature Reserve, each offer the ‘Morukuru Freedom Concept’ for guests to create a unique and personalised holiday. Morukuru Beach Lodge in De Hoop Nature Reserve can be booked per suite, or on an exclusive-use basis. AtholPlace Hotel & Villa in Sandton, Johannesburg, consists of a 9-room boutique hotel and a 4-bedroom private villa. Morukuru Family is dedicated to securing a sustainable future for the reserves and protecting our planet and offer specialised travel packages – Safaris with a Purpose and Coastal Conservation with a Purpose. 
www.morukuru.com

Morukuru Goodwill Foundation

Morukuru Family’s commitment to conservation, community, and sustainability led to the establishment of Morukuru Goodwill Foundation (MGWF) in 2007 by owners Ed and Anka Zeeman. Working in partnership with the Parks Board and CapeNature, and together with local communities we support nature-based projects, educate, mentor and ultimately empower the conservation of Africa’s wildlife sanctuaries.
https://morukuru.com/morukuru-goodwill-foundation/

Relais & Châteaux – A Movement with Meaning

Relais & Châteaux, established in 1954, is an association of 580 unique hotels and restaurants throughout the world, owned and operated by independent entrepreneurs–most often families–who are passionate about their craft and deeply committed to forging warm, lasting relationships with their guests. Relais & Châteaux members protect and promote the wealth and diversity of the world’s culinary and hospitality traditions, to ensure they continue to thrive. They are equally dedicated to preserving local heritage and the environment, as articulated in the association’s Vision presented to UNESCO in November 2014.
http://www.relaischateaux.com