In South Africa, leopards once fell under the protection of the Zulu King, their skins revered by the masses, but worn exclusively by members of the Zulu royal house. Today the rise of the powerful and enigmatic Nazareth Baptist Church (Shembe), the growing religion of millions of AmaZulu, has seen the demand for the leopards coat, used in religious costume, spiral upwards. Every Shembe man aspires to own a leopard skin and at the major gatherings in the Holy Village of Ebuhleni, one can count close on a thousand leopard furs. This conservation blind spot means that leopards populations across southern Africa are declining. With law enforcement incapable of dealing with apractice that has become culturally entrenched and accepted as thenorm, how can we prevent the impending catastrophe facing sthe region'sleopards?

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