Conservation and tradition come together to save the African leopard

Twice a year, thousands of members of the Nazareth Baptist ‘Shembe’ Church gather in eBuhleni in KwaZulu-Natal in celebration of their religion. All along the narrow roads, the South Coast Herald observes men and women preparing for the day.

Tents and plastic sheets strung between trees offer some relief from the sun and thunderstorms. Temporary food kiosks offer fresh fruit and meat while R5 at the shop next door will get your phone charged for an hour.

READ MORE: Leopards under the gun

Members of Panthera carry fabric replicas through the village.

Among all this activity, a team from the global wild cat conservation organisation, Panthera, make their way through the crowds carrying precious Amambatha. These fabric replicas of capes worn by male members of the church, are being taken to the Church office where they will be sold to the congregation.

Traditionally, the garments are made from the skin of the leopard – an animal revered by the Shembe as a symbol of pride, beauty and wealth. “How much?” is enthusiastically asked over and over as the group passes by Shembe Church members.

“We have a great relationship with the church. We’ve managed to gain their trust by proving that we respect and protect their traditions. After many years of building this relationship they allow us access to the holy grounds to do our research and distribute our Amambatha,” says Tristan Dickerson, the Furs for Life Leopard Programme manager, who first thought of introducing faux leopard skin to replace real ones at traditional ceremonies, such as the Shembe gathering.

Fabric replicas of capes are now worn by male members of the church.

Leopards are listed as vulnerable on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. They are classified as endangered in Central Asia and Sri Lanka and critically endangered in the Middle East, Russia and the Indonesian island of Java.

In South Africa, the leopard population is in decline. Tristan says: “The leopard’s beautiful skin is the primary reason it is the world’s most persecuted big cat. And in my years of work to protect the leopards of southern Africa, I’ve realised the only way to stop the hunting of leopards for their skins is to address the problem head-on – with creativity and respect for local religion and culture.”

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