Africa has a proud heritage of traditional ceremonies which reflect their skill as hunters and the respect they have for the wild animals which share their land. Until recently, the use of real spotted cat fur (mainly leopard) for religious celebrations persisted with members of South Africa’s Shembe Baptist Church, whose followers had adopted the Zulu practice. Today, fur is still part of their ceremonial attire but the materials used to construct their striking and symbolic swathe are now manmade thanks to Panthera’s Furs for Life Leopard Project.
This shift in tradition, from once wearing real leopard skins to now adorning fake ones, is a pivotal point for leopards, and may in fact be their most critical lifeline in the region. Traditionally, members of the Shembe Church have worn, and still continue to wear, real leopard skins during religious gatherings. While considered a symbol of pride and reverence among the Shembe, this practice has likely been decimating southern Africa’s leopard populations, and it was Panthera’s scientists who had been researching leopard populations in KwaZulu-Natal province – a Shembe stronghold – who were the first to identify this threat, as well as to implement a life-saving, and simple, solution.
The Shembe may have as many as one million followers, and the demand for leopard skin is both astronomical and unsustainable. Panthera’s scientists estimate that nearly 1,000 leopard skins are worn or sold at major Shembe gatherings, and more than 20,000 skins may currently be held by Shembe members.
Reducing the demand for real leopard skins, Panthera’s Furs for Life Leopard Project, overseen by Dr. Guy Balme (Panthera’s Leopard Program Director) has provided a solution that is both innovative and respectful of local culture – the replacement of real leopard skins with fake fur. “Rarely in the conservation world are we able to identify a major threat and offer a solution that is so simple in such a short period of time,” said Dr. Guy Balme. “This is a perfect example where science is used to implement a conservation action that is locally relevant, and where collaboration among local communities makes a real impact in helping to save a species”.
Panthera partnered with digital designers and clothing companies in China to create a high-quality, affordable and realistic fake leopard fur cape, referred to by the Shembe as an amambatha. The fake furs are much cheaper (around $30 per cape) and last much longer than the very expensive real capes. Today nearly 6,000 fake leopard furs have been distributed to Shembe members, and one only needs to attend a Shembe gathering to witness the success and impact of the project.
Dr. Guy Balme estimates that 30% of furs worn at Shembe gatherings are now Panthera’s amambatha, compared to just 10% of fake furs worn only a year ago. This number converts to renewed life for the leopards of southern Africa.
Earlier this year, Panthera also announced a new partnership with Peace Parks Foundation and Cartier that aims to deliver 18,000 fake furs by the end of 2017.
Join the fight and help Panthera ensure a future for the leopard and other wild cats around the world.
To learn more about what Panthera is doing to save Africa’s leopards visit: www.panthera.org/programs/leopard/furs-life-leopard-project
