Feed Orphan Cheetahs in Namibia

CCF has worked for two decades to teach farmers to coexist with cheetahs—and those efforts are paying dividends. A while back a livestock farmer became alarmed by the presence of a cheetah we later dubbed Wild Mumand her two cubs near his livestock kraal. Rather than killing them on site, the farmer trapped them and contacted CCF. A medical exam at our vet clinic revealed that Wild Mum had a badly infected broken tooth, which more than likely was why she had resorted to killing livestock insteadof wildlife. We had Wild Mum’s tooth repaired and fitted her with a satellite collar programmed to automatically drop off in five months. Then, Mum and her cubs were released on an unfenced portion of CCF’s property. When we knew the collar had dropped off, we wentto locate the collar. To our surprise, we sighted Wild Mum and found a new litter of three young cubs hidden securely in a bush. Her previous cubs must have struck out on their own, as all eventually do.  We hoped to be able to keep track of the cubs, but without their mother’s collar, that would prove difficult.  Just recently, though, this feline family was identified in a photo taken by a camera trap.  As infant mortality for cheetahs ranges from 75 to 95 percent, the fact that all three young ones are still alive is truly miraculous. As a result of your support, CCF’s efforts ensured five new cheetahs have a chance to blossom in the wild.

Links:

• Cheetah Conservation Fund

• Year End Appeal (PDF)
  

Currently, CCF has 52 cheetahs that were either orphaned or injured and came to CCF to be cared for. That number is slightly down from a year or two ago due to CCF's "rewilding" program. We developed a very successful protocol that allows cheetahs that have been in captivity to relearn to hunt and protect themselves in a safe area. Then after they are released into the wild, they are tracked daily to ensure that they can feed themselves. Feeding 52 cheetahs is very expensive. But another expense to consider is fencing!  While we don't like to see cheetahs behind fences, sometimes it is necessary.  Namibia has a law that requires one hectare (2.5 acres) per cheetah. We keep the majority of "our" cheetahs in enclosures that are much larger than the legal minimum, which means that we have a lot of fencing to install and maintain. (Just imagine what a warthog can do to a fence--it isn't pretty.) Fencing prices have really gone up in the last few years. So we greatly appreciate your donations. While we work on finding ways to return cheetahs to the wild, we make sure that their stay at CCF is as safe as possible. Thank you!

In memory of Chewbaaka, CCF's cheetah ambassador in Namibia for 15 years who passed away in April, CCF is conducting the Chewbaaka Memorial Challenge. All donations up to $300,000 will be matched, dollar for dollar. Chewbaaka was rescued by Dr. Laurie Marker when he was only 10 days old and extremely ill. In the process of saving his life, Dr. Marker and the tiny cub bonded deeply. That bond was evidenced by Dr. Marker and Chewbaaka's trips into the bush, where Mr. C. would climb playtrees and chase lures and always return to Dr. Marker's side afterward. Chewbaaka was an exemplary ambassador for his species, meeting tens of  thousands of people over the years at CCF's headquarters in Namibia. His regal bearing and willingness to be the center of attention while he demonstrated the use of playtrees and the amazing speed of a cheetah was so unique--and it left all visitors with a respect for the species. In the 15 years that Chewbaaka presided over CCF's Visitor's Centre, thousands of Namibian livestock and game farmers visited CCF to learn how to protect their livestock from predators. And in the course of their visit they inevitably met Chewbaaka. By getting up close and personal with this exceptional cheetah, many of the farmers left with a newfound respect for the animal--and a commitment to the nonlethal predator control methods learned at CCF. Chewbaaka, orphaned himself by a farmer, probably prevented hundreds if not thousands of cheetah cubs from being orphaned by farmers by making such an impression on everyone he met during his 15 years at CCF. Please donate during our matching challenge before August 31, and your donations will be doubled! Thank you for supporting the Cheetah Conservation Fund.

Links:

• Read more about Chewbaaka's life at CCF.