Rare cats roam Mount Camdeboo

KAROO NEWS - Nestled at the foot of the Sneeuberg Mountains in South Africa, Mount Camdeboo Private Game Reserve boasts one of the most spectacular landscapes of any of the South African 'Big 5' reserves.

Part of the attraction of the reserve is the cheetah. Fewer than 7 000 wild cheetahs are remaining in the world. The species is classified as "vulnerable" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

In South Africa, the range of wild cheetahs has been reduced by more than 90%. The total number of wild cheetahs is estimated to range somewhere between
1 200 to 1 750.

Their remaining territory consists of public and private conservation areas, as well as some ranch lands along the northern borders where between 300 and 800 free-roaming cheetahs live on unprotected land.

These animals are persecuted and their population size and future are uncertain.

South Africa's large Kruger and Kalahari National Parks are home to some 500 cheetahs while around 450 live in fully fenced reserves like Mount Camdeboo.

In the wild, over 70% of cheetah cubs die in their first three months. They fall victim to other predators or die from infections of their immune systems, weakened by inbreeding. Overcoming genetic homogeneity is a focus of the Endangered Wildlife Trust initiative, the Cheetah Meta-population Project, in which Mount Camdeboo Private Nature Reserve actively participates by offering safe space for cheetahs on the reserve.

One of the beautiful female Cheetahs that arrived at Mount Camdeboo Private Game Reserve near Graaff-Reinet in June last year. Photos: Jeff Ayliffe

Mountain challenge
A while ago Wildlife veterinarian Dr Willem Burger braved the mountains under a threat of icy rain, to provide a standard booster vaccination to one of the beautiful females, that arrived at Camdeboo last year.

She was a captive-born cheetah and was initially cared for at Ashia Cheetah Conservation headquarters in Paarl before entering Ashia's wilding and release process.

Joining Dr Burger was Mount Camdeboo ecologist Penny Pistorius, and a 45-minute drive took them to a spot where the female had already been located by Les Slabbert. Les is one of Mount Camdeboo's most experienced field guides and a man who can be considered as the "cheetah caretaker," living upon the escarpment with his cats.

As the sun returned briefly a relaxed female was given the booster by way of a painless drop-off darting and she left to continue her hunting. Next up for Dr Burger was a procedure to dart and prepare another big male cheetah for his relocation to a temporary home on a private game reserve until he will be part of a reintroduction outside of South Africa.Vincent Van Der Merwe of the Endangered Wildlife Trust had made the long drive to Graaff-Reinet overnight to assist Dr Burger and he translocated the male cheetah on a 1 000 km road trip in a specially designed transport crate.

One of the beautiful female Cheetahs that arrived at Mount Camdeboo Private Game Reserve near Graaff-Reinet in June last year. She was given a standard booster vaccination recently by wildlife veterinarian Dr Willem Burger. Photo: Jeff Ayliffe

Ashia
Ashia Cheetah Conservation is a non-profit organisation founded to help prevent the further decline of wild cheetah populations. Genetic reinforcement through release, relocation, (re)introduction, as well as urgent, impromptu cheetah rescue operations, take place in coordination with local and international conservation authorities.

To ensure the longevity of this project and in partnerships with relevant scientific bodies, Ashia is initiating, funding and coordinating applicable research projects to contribute significantly to the conservation and genetic integrity as well as the growth and range expansion of the cheetah population in southern Africa.

Wildlife veterinarian Dr Willem Burger (left) with a female Cheetah in the Mount Camdeboo Private Game Reserve. She was given a standard booster vaccination. With him is Jeff Ayliffe (middle), who videographed the exercise, and Vincent van der Merwe of the Endangered Wildlife Trust.