The search will resume for a leopard on the loose in the vicinity of the Roodeplaat Dam Nature Reserve, north-east of Pretoria, on Saturday.

The origin and owner of the leopard are not known.

However, communities neighbouring the nature reserve have again been urged to be on the lookout, as leopards are dangerous, and visitors to the sanctuary are also advised to be extra cautious.

The Gauteng Agriculture, Rural Development, and Environment Department says it does not allow members of the public to keep leopards as pets, because they are regarded as dangerous animals that belongs in legally registered zoos or sanctuaries for rehabilitation.

The Nature Reserve’s Mpumelelo Mnci says, “We will still keep a lookout throughout the weekend. If we not going to get anything, we might look in the next week at putting up a track cage for the leopard in the spots where it might have been spotted by the neighbours –  but it is work in progress.”