Released cheetahs undergo rewilding process

On International Cheetah Day today, we celebrate this remarkable animal and our long association with the species. For 31 years Lente Roode and HESC have been working tirelessly for the conservation of the cheetah species in the race against extinction. Sleek and handsome, the fastest land mammal on earth roamed freely on the plains of Africa and much of Asia. But today, decimated by hunting, illegal trade and loss of habitat the cheetah has been driven out of close on 90% of its historic range and only around 7 100 remain worldwide. Cheetahs are now confined predominantly to small non-sustainable populations in Eastern and Southern Africa in Angola, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Mozambique and South Africa.

At HESC we raise cheetahs, including the rare King cheetah, to release into the wild when they are old enough to sustain themselves. We contribute to the conservation of the species by boosting the declining population and providing new bloodlines to limit inbreeding. In the wild between 80 and 90% of cubs become the prey of bigger predators, mainly lions and spotted hyenas, by the age of 18 months. Cheetahs WILL face extinction if we don’t intervene.

When we release cheetahs they are initially kept in an enclosure on the reserve to ‘rewild’ and adjust to the new environment and are also fed until they start hunting naturally on their own, a skill they instinctively have. The two cheetahs released from HESC recently have adjusted well to their new home and can be seen below devouring the carcasses put out for them.