Snapshot LEC

Leopard Ecology & Conservation Field Team

The tracker team is the heart of all LEC research activities. Supula Monnaanoka, Sokwa Pudidaroma, Mosepele Mamou, and Phalatsa Nkadima are certified San trackers who have been sharing their knowledge of the Kalahari ecosystem with LEC for several years. For the camera trap survey, they are in charge of identifying the best location to set up the cameras as well as of assisting in the routine checks. Without them, carnivore research in our study area would simply be impossible.

Monika Schiess-Meier is the Founder and Director of LEC. She is a passionate scientist and conservationist who came to Khutse GR to study leopard behavior and ecology in the Kalahari and decided to create LEC to study big cats and how to foster coexistence between wildlife and the local community. With the collaboration with Snapshot, she continues promoting the integration of tracking, a millennia-old tradition of the San, with innovative high-tech methods to study the elusive cats of the Kalahari.

Alessandro Araldi is the LEC field research coordinator in Khutse GR. As a wildlife biologist and conservationist, he has focused his research interests on non-invasive techniques to study mammal ecology and activity patterns. The LEC-Snapshot Safari collaboration is a perfect synthesis of multi-disciplinary non-invasive techniques such as camera-trapping and tracking.

Pogiso “Africa” Ithuteng is a LEC research assistant and leader of the tracking team. For more than 17 years, he has used his extensive knowledge in tracking and animal behavior to conduct research on leopards and lions with LEC. He is a passionate conservationist of his native land, the Central Kalahari.

Tebelelo Gabaikanye is a LEC research assistant who grew up in Kaudwane a few kilometers from Khutse Gate. She is involved in the setup and maintenance of the camera traps. Her computer skills are a big advantage for the research team and she is in charge of data entry and quality control.