In three separate incidents across the Western Cape in the past year — in Piketberg, Bot River and Bredasdorp—landowners or their agents captured leopards alive in cage traps without the required permits for such traps. The three cases share a common feature beyond the permit failure: in each instance, the relevant authorities—CapeNature, the police and/or the NPA—were either notified or became aware of the incident and elected not to prosecute. No public explanation has been given for any of these decisions