MunYaWana Leopard Project's Interactive School Project

Course Overview

The MunYaWana Leopard Project’s Interactive School Project aims to provide all participants with an understanding of leopard conservation, its importance and the role humans play in ensuring these animals are around for generations to come. This project paints a complete picture; from evolution, classification, identification, energy flow in ecosystems, competitor relationships, adaptations, human impact, conflict solution, data analyses, to the development of sustainable management practises and communication of research.

For ten weeks students will track an individual leopard using data posted on the MunYaWana Leopard Project website. They plot this information on a large scale map to monitor their leopard’s movements and work out its territory size. Students will also receive photographs of leopards from a camera trapping survey. The students identify individual leopards and use this detail and the survey area to calculate the local leopard density.

Relating the majority of issues taught in biology back to the story of one species allows students to develop a logical picture in their head. The leopard is one of the most beautiful and charismatic animals on the planet and is bound to capture the attention of most students. While these majestic animals may not inhabit our shores the conservation concerns facing leopards are representative of the conservation concerns facing the majority of species on the planet today. The leopard provides a dynamic vehicle for teaching many aspects of biology.