Ingwe Research Program’s mission is to conserve leopards in South Africa by empowering stakeholders through practical scientific recommendations, enabled by formal research, citizen science, novel technologies, and proactive collaboration.
Our approach follows a clear model:
- Monitor: tracks leopard numbers, movements, mortality risks and human attitudes;
- Intervene: turns that evidence into practical actions, coexistence guidance, mitigation priorities, land-management recommendations;
- Measure: tests whether those actions reduce risks and improve leopard safety;
- Report: shares progress and impact with funders, trustees and partners;
- Scale: expands what works to new leopard landscapes.
This work runs across four pillars.
- Population Monitoring: uses AI-powered identification from citizen-science imagery to map leopard density and distribution.
- Road Ecology: combines roadkill patrols, culvert monitoring and crossing-hotspot analysis, working toward Road Animal Detection Systems.
- Human-Leopard Coexistence: surveys communities and builds evidence-based guidelines for living safely alongside leopards.
- Emerging Research & Tech: develops next-generation tracking devices, K9 conservation dogs, and community-led camera-trap surveys.
Find out more at ingweresearchprogram.org
Empowers Africa has partnered with Ingwe Research Program in order to provide a cost-effective solution to fundraising in the United States by acting as their fiscal sponsor. Any donations made here will be granted to Ingwe Research Program.
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Ingwe Research Program Campaigns
Road ecology, protecting wildlife from vehicle collisions
Ingwe’s Road Ecology program addresses vehicle collisions, now formally recognized as a leopard mortality threat on the global IUCN Red List following data collected by Ingwe. It combines three components: standardized roadkill patrols; camera-trap monitoring of road culverts as safer wildlife crossing alternatives; and a conservation-detection-dog pilot that pinpoints leopard crossing hotspots. Funds raised will support preparation for the survey’s second phase, patrols, culvert monitoring, and K9-assisted hotspot detection and the development of mitigation measures such as Road Animal Detection Systems for a first implementation in Africa.
Leopard population and distribution - understanding true population
This program builds the baseline for leopard population size, distribution, and movement across the Greater Kruger, using ArgusWild.AI coat-pattern recognition to identify individuals from camera-trap and citizen-science images & videos contributed by a growing network of partner reserves and citizen scientists. Reflecting the “innovative technologies” pillar of Ingwe’s mission, the program now includes its own custom-built mobile app that streamlines data capture and gives verified contributors access to sighting and home-range data, growing citizen-science participation. Funds raised will support continued image processing, individual identification, reserve-network coordination, and app development.
Camera trap survey in non-protected areas - creating ecological corridors
Most leopard research to date has focused inside formally protected reserves, even though large areas of highly suitable leopard habitat exist outside them. This program addresses that bias by extending camera-trap monitoring into non-protected, human-dominated landscapes, in partnership with the Kruger to Canyons (K2C) Biosphere Reserve, to identify ecological corridors connecting the wider landscape. Funds raised will cover field preparation, new camera-trap equipment, LiDAR data, alongside the conservation-detection dogs currently being trained under Ingwe’s Road Ecology program.
Next generation non-invasive tracking device
This project develops next-generation, non-invasive leopard tracking devices in partnership with TerraSense, adapting mesh-network and non-GPS trilateration technology as an alternative to GPS collars. TerraSense has previously used this approach to track pangolins at one GPS-equivalent point per minute over six weeks; Ingwe intends to be the first to apply it to leopards. Funds raised will support technology adaptation and field deployment.
Operational & personnel costs to drive all projects
Investing in the people behind the work is what keeps expertise in the field and science rigorous. The programs depend on vehicles, equipment, data systems, and the people who run them daily. One does not function without the other. Ingwe is working toward genuinely competitive salaries, so skilled people build a career in conservation rather than move to corporate roles. Funds raised under this line go toward the people, equipment, and systems that keep the programs running.
General Donations
If you do not have any specific project in mind and wish the organization to use their own discretion.
Donations can also be made by check or wire transfer:
Checks should be made out to “Empowers Africa” and should be mailed to:
Empowers Africa
2 Beekman Place, Ste. 18B
New York, NY 10022
www.empowersafrica.org
(917) 328-1611
Kindly note in the memo section of the check that funds are for Ingwe Research Program. Or email us at info@empowersafrica.org.
For wire transfer details or more information, please email us at info@empowersafrica.org.
Empowers Africa has been approved as a U.S. public charity, contributions to which are tax deductible for U.S. federal income tax purposes under Section 501(c)(3) [EIN: 32-0403737] of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code.
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