Dr Jacqueline Bishop will be the next speaker at the SmallTalX series at the Franschhoek Theatre on Wednesday 28 August at 18:30.
Bishop, an evolutionary ecologist and conservation biologist from the University of Cape Town (UCT), who is part of the scientific team behind the Urban Caracal Project, will deliver a public talk on caracals.
The Urban Caracal Project was founded by Dr Laurel Serieys, with support from UCT and the Cape Leopard Trust, in 2014.
It is involved in researching caracals, in particular how they adapt to urban landscapes, and uses GPS tracking to study caracal movements and behaviour.
Bishop studies how caracals are impacted by increasing urbanisation. In the talk she will describe how Cape Town’s caracals navigate urban environments, the threats they face and how they have adapted to living in close proximity to humans.
She will also emphasise the role of citizens in the conservation and study of caracals in the Cape.
Several of the caracals tracked by the Urban Caracal Project have become well-known to the public. The most famous was Hermes, who lived around the Camps Bay area and was frequently seen by hikers on Pipe Track.
He was first tagged by the project after being hit by a car in 2018.
The Tamboerskloof Veterinary Clinic assisted in emergency surgery to reattach part of his tongue, which he had bitten off in the accident.
When Hermes was killed by a car in May last year his death made local and national headlines.
The project has also documented caracals’ diets and interactions with one another as well as established a strong connection between the use of rat poisons and caracal deaths, in addition to the ever-present danger of road fatalities.
The talk is the latest in the popular SmallTalX series hosted by the Franschhoek Theatre.
Each talk provides the public with a chance to engage with subject matter experts in a very relaxed social atmosphere.
Admission costs R250 and include wine, snacks and a question-and-answer session with the speaker.
The Franschhoek branch of Wordsworth Books will also host a stall with wildlife-related publications.
- Tickets can be booked online at www.franschhoektheatre.co.za, or by sending an email to smalltalx.info@gmail.com.
