Morris, D.R.Boardman, W.S.J.Swanepoel, L.H.Simpson, G.Coetzee, J.Camacho, G.J.McWhorter, T.J.2025-07-112025-07-112022Mammalian Biology, 2022; 102(4):1173-11831616-50471618-1476https://hdl.handle.net/2440/145869The African leopard (Panthera pardus pardus) has lost much of its historical range within South Africa. The remaining suitable habitat for the species includes both protected and unprotected areas in a fragmented landscape mosaic, bringing the species into close contact with human settlements. In order to make successful management decisions for the conservation of the species, more information is needed on leopard populations that exist in these highly fragmented habitats. The aim of our study was to determine the density of a population of leopards on Loskop Dam Nature Reserve (LDNR), Mpumalanga, South Africa. LDNR is located in a highly fragmented landscape and is surrounded by a variety of human settlements including game farms, livestock farms and rural towns. There are several smaller reserves 20–45 km away from LDNR, which may allow leopard movement and connectivity within the region. We determined population density by running a 164-day camera trap survey that covered a total area of 148.77 km² within the reserve. Leopard density was estimated using Spatially Explicit Capture–Recapture models implemented in the program ‘secr’ in R using four different models. The most supported model was a sex-based model that allowed for differences in detection probabilities between males and females. The population density estimated with this model was 7.7 ± 2.0 (range 4.7–12.6) leopards per 100 km². This density estimate in LDNR is comparable to other leopard populations in protected areas with similar habitat types and fragmented landscapes within South Africa. This study highlights that isolated, protected natural areas have the potential to harbour significant populations of leopards, which is important for the management and conservation of the species.en© Deutsche Gesellschaft für Säugetierkunde 2021, corrected publication 2022Camera trap; Density; Leopard; Mpumalanga; Population; South Africa; Spatially Explicit Capture– Recapture (SECR)Journal article10.1007/s42991-021-00179-22024-04-19596767Boardman, W.S.J. [0000-0002-1746-0682]McWhorter, T.J. [0000-0002-4746-4975]