Thanks to Splattered Toad drinkers, the Western Leopard Toad Conservation Committee and volunteer groups, my fellow Western Leopard Toads and I are rather more optimistic about the future these days. Listed as Endangered since 2004, it is very encouraging to now find ourselves in the midst of concerted conservation efforts.

Delighted to be part of the solution, Cape Point Vineyards is investing R1 for every bottle of Splattered Toad sold into the Cape Point Vineyards Sustainability Fund. The Fund will help finance the efforts of the Western Leopard Toad Conservation Committee, which currently needs support to:

• Monitor populations using photo recognition software (you can help by taking a photo of any Western Leopard Toad you encounter and uploading it here.)
• Install tadpole cages in ponds to save them from becoming prey to invasive fish
• Produce and erect signage to create awareness
• Develop models to project which areas are in greatest need of protection

Some interesting facts...

We are rare
Listed as an endangered species since 2004, Western Leopard Toads - now Endangered - are confined to the sandy coastal lowlands of the Western Cape.  Two of the ponds at Cape Point Vineyards are among the most important breeding sites in the Cape Peninsula region.

We are the Lords of the Fynbos Kingdom
Western Leopard Toads are an indicator species: when there are plenty of us around, you know that the Cape Floral Kingdom is in good shape.  Like other stately creatures, we enjoy a sporting hunt; pests such as slugs and even snakes top our trophy list (although we don’t keep souvenirs to prove it). We also look after the weak and, by protecting us, you help save creatures that are smaller than us. 

We're no country bumpkin's
Although we live in the Deep South (the peninsula that is), we certainly aren't country bumpkins. We enjoy civilised society; when the SANBI research team set out to track our movements within Kirstenhof, they found that we preferred to travel by road! Give us a garden or a golf course to rest in, with access to a wetland breeding site, and we’re good to go!

We Like to Party (Who doesn’t?)
Hear us roar on rainy nights when we come out to play! Unfortunately it is during this quest for refreshment and a roll in the weeds that our fun can turn to folly; when we come out at night we are not only in danger of being splattered on the roads but also of being sizzled by your electric fences – so please do leave us a gap to crawl through!