Hot under the collar!

5.42pm.

This male Leopard had travelled over 80km's from Luambe to it's new range in the Nsefu sector of Sth Luangwa NP and it's tracking collar was now exceedingly tight!
Collared wildlife aren't my favourite things to photograph but it's not always that we find a Leopard descending a tree in daylight.:w3

A PHD student doing research put the collar on over 4 years ago and due to the device failing could not find it for removal,
it was supposed to have fallen/disintegrated off 3 years previous and this clearly hadn't happened either, :2eyes2:......hopefully the leopard will be caught (currently searching for it now) and the collar soon removed.

This didn't hinder it whilst it managed to kill a Puku early one morning and came back to also dispose of a White-backed Vulture that got too close!
This big guy had my admiration and sympathy as the temperature had hovered in the low 40 deg's celsius(+104 F) for the past few weeks!

D3s 500VR 1/400s f/4 ISO12800 around 20% crop. Would have preferred it facing a few degrees towards me rather than away, but we take 'em as we find 'em.:bg3:
Sth Luangwa NP- Zambia Oct 2011.

C & C most welcome

Cheers
Marc

Marc,

If you will excuse me, I would like to have a small rant about these so called "researchers", stop this foull practice and find something useful to do!!! I could go on but I will not for fear of reprisals:t3

Without the colar this would have been a great "moment", I am always amazed how they can do this.

Just for interest and for no other purpose than exposing animal cruelty here is a repost which shows just how tight this instrument of torture is, absolutely disgusting!!

Thanks Ken, I knew this would draw your attention.:bg3:
I can understand why (at times) it is done but at the same time cannot disagree with your opinion.:w3
I personally feel it should be the responsibility of the researcher to make sure the collar is removed at ALL costs once the research has finished....at the very least and IF it has to be done at all.
Should also add (from what I was told) that this leopard was quite young when initially collared and now it has matured into a full grown adult of some 6 years.

Ken, on this matter I agree with you unreservedly.

Marc, good detail with super high ISO.

I am with you, Ken...nice work on the cloning. This is one big cat species that is thriving in the wild without any human help/research.

Marc, if my $5000 1dmk4 could produce a decent image at that ISO, I would have been very happy. Well done on the techs, the tree bark has less detail but the Leo is sharp...and that is what matters.:cheers:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Kiran Khanzode

Well done on the techs, the tree bark has less detail but the Leo is sharp...and that is what matters.:cheers:

---

Good point Kiran, no NR on the Leopard and the tree could have been left untouched as well?

Lovely image and I hope humans will stop researching on animals
TFS

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Marc Molloy

the tree could have been left untouched as well?

---

Imo, yes, could have possibly maintained some more amount of detail in the bark(even with some noise)...perhaps.

Marc,

I am really glad you posted this image, it has got a great reaction, regarding the "loathsome" reseachers pursuing totally uneccesassary nonsense.

I have seen the same thing at that "so called" wildlife have Mashatu, here it was a Lion being slowly strangled, the resaearcher had also left and the replacements said it was not up to them to remove it, should have called EWT.

The collar is a shame, Marc.

A fantastic image....I have been trying unsuccessfully for a similar image.

Marc - that collar looks very uncomfortable and I agree that the researchers should be responsible for ensuring that it is properly removed. I too hate seeing collared wildlife. Still this is a fantastic action moment captured though I agree with your self-critique that a few degrees turn your way would have taken this over the top.

TFS,
Rachel

Can anybody explain why this thread has been moved, and who moved it, to here. It hardly fits in as a "General Photography Discussion" as it relates to a specific image.

Is it because photographers express their feelings about the collaring of animals in addition to critiquing the image?

As the poster of this image, I too would like to know the reason for moving to general discussion, somewhat perplexing??

Hello Folks,

I moved it.
It became clear this image was not going to be critiqued. So while this image and comments are compelling, they are off topic in a critique forum.

By moving it to the General Discussion Forum the thread will have greater exposure and comply with our forum guidelines.

Thanks,
James

PS I'm not a huge fan (or at all) of banding or collaring wild animals. I understand the data collected is valuable, but I've seen the stress caused by banding to both juvenile and adult animals.

Hi James

My intention for submitting this image was always on a critiquing basis, however I always try to put some interesting background information if warranted, it appears that has stirred up some response.

Hi James,

As far as I can see 7 of the responses, posted above include "critique" of the image. Given the nature of the image content I think it is unfair to not allow people to comment on the "collar" situation, inasmuch as it is part of the background of the image. But it is your choice.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by James Shadle

Hello Folks,

I moved it.
It became clear this image was not going to be critiqued. So while this image and comments are compelling, they are off topic in a critique forum.

By moving it to the General Discussion Forum the thread will have greater exposure and comply with our forum guidelines.

Thanks,
James

PS I'm not a huge fan (or at all) of banding or collaring wild animals. I understand the data collected is valuable, but I've seen the stress caused by banding to both juvenile and adult animals.

---

James, I totally agree with you. The collared wolves in YNP are "dead wolves." They are dead wolves because, in a fight, the collar gives other wolves an inescapable neck hold. While I think valuable info has be gathered, wolves have been collared since their reintroduction to YNP in the 80's. I doubt that there is much more to learn. I think the wolves are collared now as a way of tracking them for control purposes. If a wolf pack with a collared wolf in it begins killing livestock, the authorities can easily find the pack to destroy it.

Ken said: "Given the nature of the image content I think it is unfair to not allow people to comment on the "collar" situation, inasmuch as it is part of the background of the image. But it is your choice."

Ken,
What are you talking about?
I've opened the comments up to a much wider audience and in affect that is allowing more people to comment.
James

Marc,
Thanks for this post. I support wildlife research and researchers, however I am completely against collaring.

A tiger or a leopard or an elephant was not born with a necklace. So better to avoid using it.

Lovely image by the way.

Cheers,
Sabyasachi