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Wildt Tales, April 2006 Mission
To achieve its mission the De Wildt Cheetah and Wildlife Trust has an extensive community outreach and education program and a strategic breeding plan. The Trust conducts research on wildlife disease and nutrition and in South Africa it has implemented a national plan for the conservation of free-roaming cheetah.
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| Sibella
- A cheetah mother like no other During the past five years, the De Wildt Cheetah and Wildlife Trust have facilitated the relocation of 135 wild cheetah onto selected private and state owned reserves and national parks in South Africa. These cheetah were removed from livestock and game ranches in the Limpopo and North West Provinces of South Africa to prevent them from being destroyed by angry and frustrated ranchers who often view these vulnerable predators as vermin as they predate on livestock and game livestock. On the 7th June 2003 Sibella was brought into the De Wildt Cheetah and Wildlife Centre in a poor state after been attacked by hunting dogs. She was rehabilitated by the staff of De Wildt and veterinarian, Dr Peter Caldwell. On 26 April 2004 thanks to the Bateleurs, a group of dedicated owners and operators of aircraft who fly for the environment in Africa, she was released onto the 12 000 ha reserve Samara. During August of 2004 two male ‘problem’ cheetah were released onto the reserve and this resulted on the 2nd of December in the birth of 5 cubs.. Defying the odds all 5 cubs have survived and in January 2006 Sibella followed her natural instincts and set the cubs free. It was noted during the daily monitoring of the cheetah on Samara that Sibella has not been physically seen for a few days. Richard Slater, manager of the reserve tracked her on foot and to the surprise of all Sibella was found in her “safe place”, the proud mother of a second litter of 6 cubs, unheard of in the world of cheetah. Deon Cilliers, Manager of the Wild Cheetah Management project stated that these occasions are a reward for the conservationists involved that can never be measured in money, but only in pride and belief in a secure future for the wild cheetah of South Africa. Assistant Director of the De Wildt Cheetah and Wildlife Trust, Vanessa Bouwer said that there is so much still to learn about the habits of these charismatic cats and that the education of the people who captured and persecuted this cat was vital if cheetahs were to survive on farmlands in South Africa. She acknowledged the dedication of the rehabilitation and relocation teams as well as the owners and staff of the Samara private Reserve. This conservation success has also impacted on another important issue, namely that of the meta population management of cheetah to enhance gene pools of cheetah on scattered reserves across the country. Cheetah Friendly Farmer of the Year De Wildt Vulture Unit
The tiny backpack, a specialised tracking device built by leading South African tracking experts, Africa Wildlife Tracking, combining GSM technology with SMS and GPS (Global Positioning System) is attached onto the vultures’ back like a tiny backpack with a nylon ribbon harness. Over its expected 7-month lifespan the device will send some 1000 readings of its activities, including position, direction of travel, speed as well as height above sea level, all of which will assist scientists in understanding more about the birds and ultimately assisting in the future plans for their continued conservation as well as the conservation and monitoring of other species. Extensive tests have been undertaken to ensure that the device does not negatively impact on the vulture’s daily life and its ability to interact with others of its kind. De Wildt has already fitted
cellular tracking devices to some of the 32 vultures released since
4 December 2005. The device has proven its effectiveness and has helped
De Wildt to track these birds successfully, even to the extent where
one African White-backed vulture released, was later poisoned with organophosphate
but found a few days and the bird was rescued and intensively treated.
We have tracked birds into Botswana and then back into South Africa,
making use of the international roaming sim cards installed in the tracking
device. With the use of cellular tracking devices, we are hoping to
answer some valuable questions: A good ending for Bangles
The cheetah had been tied tightly with ropes around his legs and neck and was dehydrated. The ropes were removed, the wounds treated and a drip put up. The cheetah was named Bangles because of the bangle-like marks on his legs. Bangles recovered well, was bonded with another male and the two were relocated to Shambala, a private reserve outside Vaalwater in Limpopo. This week, Bangles radio
collar’s battery was depleted and he needed to be immobilized
to have it changed. Kelly Marnewick of the De Wildt Wild Cheetah Project
had the opportunity to be there and see how well Bangles is doing. We
approach by vehicle and Bangles was amazingly relaxed and unconcerned
with the disturbance. After darting him, the vet Manie du Plessis examined
him and replaced his collar. Bangles is in excellent condition and the
day before had caught an ostrich. His coalition mate did not move far
off and watched the procedure from a distance. Cheetah and its replica meet
Prickly Story
Early on Monday morning we gathered at the boma and released the males to a breakfast of Blesbok. Spending a good while with the males and observing their actions, soon they rested under a bush for the heat of the day. Moving from the males we tracked and located F1, better known as “Duchess” and spent a number of interesting hours in her company. Around 4 pm it was time to return to the males and soon the 3 of us began our walking inspection of the area, stopping at every Shepard’s tree to scent mark and leave a message for anyone else who may be passing. For an hour after sunset we explored and it was soon time for me to return to my comfortable cave whilst the males found a comfortable bush. Let it be well noted that cheetah may “flop” down but they are selective in their home comforts and love a protected bush that also offers a grass pillow. If the bed is not comfortable they simply get up and scratch the ground into the right shape and flop down again and are soon purring in comfort……..so much for wild and unsophisticated animals. Early on day two of freedom I found the males walking across an open plain……..something was not quite right and Starsky was walking at an odd angle and looking very displeased with life…….no longer did he flop down but lay down gently, somewhat like an arthric geriatric………… As I approached he looked at me in a very pained way…….Hutch on the other hand, with his missing tooth that gives him a lopsided grin,…….had somewhat of an evil smirk………. Soon it became evident why the pained look………..our brave cheetah resembled a porcupine with a quill neatly embedded in 4 of the spots on his tail. It appeared that he had sat on the porcupine to achieve these latest piercings………With the interest that Trent and the crew from Auckland had shown in the release we called them to look at this spectacle………there was as much pain on Trent’s face as on the cat and we explained that nature would take its course and we would monitor the cat to see it the quills would fall out themselves and not simply intervene and dart the animal as the anaesthetic could be more dangerous. As the day cooled, Starsky commenced his exploration of every tree and soon, as he waved his tail during the scent marking ritual, the contractions of the muscles forced the quills to fall out one at a time……….this however was not to be the end of his “bad tail day”!! Finally as dusk approached the males found a huge Shepard’s Tree with a large sociable weavers nest and birds loudly chirping…… This is their favourite as it allows for great scent marking as well as a good point to stretch and sniff the nests. Just as another quill fell out during the ritual, so did a large Cape Cobra who had been snacking in the nests. This was more than Starsky, by now known as “Spike” could stand…….after a hissing and spitting fit, which the snake chose to ignore, the cat turned and you could see a pained expression across his face and a comment of…….”mmmmmmm in one day I get spiked by a porcupine and scared witless by a snake and YOU CALL THIS FREEDOM IN THE WILDERNESS!!!!!!!!!!” Recollaring of Dottie
Reach for a Dream visits De Wildt The Dreamers, the Dream Makers and the Fountain of Never Ending Joy The Reach For A Dream Foundation,
an organisation that has brought hope and healing to countless young
South Africans, believes strongly in the power of dreams. It encourages
children to use their dreams to fight life-threatening illnesses such
as cancer and leukaemia, cystic fibrosis and muscular dystrophy, kidney
failure and HIV infections. Over 40 kids with terminal illnesses were brought to De Wildt and went on a short tour as well as met ambassador cheetah, Byron. It was a very moving experience for all the De Wildt staff. Technology aids vulture release
Three-day-stiffsickness is a viral disease striking cattle, that is characterized by muscular pain and stiffness and is well-known to cattle farmers across the region. The virus is transmitted by biting insects and generally occurs during the late summer months from January to March. Cattle contracting the disease suffer from severe condition loss, reduced production and even death. Although there is currently no effective treatment against the virus itself, cattle can be effectively vaccinated against the disease if this is done timeously. Symptoms are controlled
by the use of anti-inflammatory drugs. The drugs registered for use
in South Africa are Fenylbutazone and Phenylarthrite, both of which
are currently unobtainable as the raw ingredients used in the manufacture
of the drug are not available locally at present. Suppliers cannot say
when stocks will become available again. Due to the shortage of the
appropriate treatment, desperate farmers have resorted to using anti-inflammatory
drugs for humans, notably Voltaren the active ingredient of which is
diclofenac, which is highly toxic to vultures. 1) According to the Medicines
and Related Substances Control Act (Act 101/9165), medicines may only
be used for purposes stated on the label which is, in the case of Voltaren,
for medical conditions in people only. Hence it is illegal for a farmer
to treat cattle with this drug. Research undertaken by the
Faculty of Veterinary Science of the University of Pretoria at Onderstepoort
in conjunction with the De Wildt Cheetah and Wildlife Trust’s
Vulture Unit has shown that mortality in vultures results even if residues
of diclofenac as small as 0.8mg/kg are ingested through feeding on carcasses
of animals that were treated with drugs containing this ingredient.
Species of vultures belonging to the Genus Gyps seem to be particularly
vulnerable to the effects of drugs containing diclofenac. The two species
of vulture in southern Africa belonging to this genus are the endemic
Cape Vulture (Gyps coprotheres) and the African Whitebacked Vulture
(Gyps africanus). It is vital for the survival of southern African vulture populations that they are not exposed to lethal diclofenac residues in carcasses. The Birds of Prey Working Group of the Endangered Wildlife Trust and its associates are urging cattle owners in southern Africa to use the non-registered human product only in very valuable or stud animals and only under controlled conditions. Medical doctors are advised not to prescribe the drug for farmers to use in cattle, and pharmacists should similarly not dispense the drug for this purpose. At worst, any drug supplied illegally should at least bear the warning that toxic residues pose a problem, and contaminated carcasses should not be allowed to enter the vulture food chain and should instead be properly disposed of preferably by incineration or burial with quick lime. Farmers need to be aware that the use of NSAIDs in cattle requires a veterinary script due to the current scheduling status. It is thus illegal to possess any Schedule 3/4 drug not prescribed by a registered veterinarian for a specific use and patient. All owners and managers of vulture restaurants in southern Africa must be especially vigilant and should investigate every donated bovine carcass for the possibility of contamination by diclofenac or other anti-inflammatory drugs. Such carcasses are under no circumstances to be placed at vulture restaurants. Cheetahs of the Pilanesberg Written by Andrew Jackson The Cheetah’s history started recently in 1982 when the North West Parks and Tourism Board introduced 7 cheetahs as part of a predator re-introduction program. At that stage there were no lions and wild dogs and the leopard and other large predator populations in Pilanesberg were relatively low. Due to the minimal amount of competition, the cheetahs did well and in fact too well as they were preying heavily on tsessebe and waterbuck, which at that stage were very low in numbers. Two years later it was decided to remove some cheetahs. Three males were left in the Park and survived well. In 1993 the paradise that these three males were living in was shattered with the introduction of lions. Lions will, given the chance, kill cheetahs and their cubs if they get hold of them. This is all about competition as both utilise the same food source and obviously lions, being bigger and stronger, hold the upper hand. With the idea that the lions will keep the cheetah numbers in check, a female and 4 cubs were introduced in February 1995. This project was sponsored by Nissan. In 1996 another 9 animals were introduced from Namibia thanks to the kind assistance of Piet and Janet Nagel, timeshare owners at Kwa-Maritane and fond supporters of Pilanesberg for many years. The cheetah population is
currently unknown but probably does not exceed 10 animals. But all is not lost. A female has been spotted over the last 3 months in the vicinity of Moruleng, Korwe and Ditabaneng. Not only is she very relaxed and often seen but she has cubs with her. When first sighted she had four cubs, three weeks later there were only three and about a week later there were only two left. Although this may sound bad it is quite normal in cheetah populations. The mortality rate of cubs is extremely high and very few cubs survive to maturity. If visitors manages to see any cheetahs in Pilanesberg and is lucky enough to get a photo please be so kind as to send it to Andrew Jackson, Andrew.j@ivorytree.co.za, Ivory Tree Game Lodge, stating the date, most accurate location as possible and the time of day. This will help them to get a better idea of the distribution pattern and territorial sizes of these high-speed sprinters of the Park. Autumn Specials at the De Wildt Cheetah Lodge The De Wildt Cheetah Lodge is an ideal getaway for tired city dwellers and those seeking a special opportunity to view cheetahs and wild dogs. A state of the art conference centre is being built by donors Tier One but in the meantime small conferences can be accommodated. Why not book an autumn midweek special for R550 per person which includes dinner, bed and breakfast. Welcome to all the new adoptive parents – whose names are listed below. Your support is vital and ensures top notch care for our animals. Diamond Level Tail End Adoption Day We had a very successful
adoption day with parents visiting their wild children. Price Waterhouse Coopers invites Byron to meet Aids orphans Price Waterhouse Coopers support a home for aids orphans as well as being the adoptive parents of cheetahs Pricey and Coopsey. They decided to combine their two projects and the children had a special outing as well as a presentation on cats and of course meeting Byron. Should you wish to be on our newsletter
list please contact us: |
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A
cheetah female, affectionately named Sibella, has made conservation
relocation history with the birth of her second litter of cubs since
being rehabilitated. Sibella was rehabilitated after severe injuries
were inflicted upon her by a pack of hunting dogs. She was relocated
to a reserve named Samara in the Graaf Reinet district by the De Wildt
Cheetah and Wildlife Trust.
The
De Wildt Cheetah and Wildlife Trust held their annual gala dinner on
3 December 2005. The dinner had the theme of African Safari and was
held at the Hyatt hotel in Johannesburg. One of the events of the evening
was the naming of the Chetah Friendly Farmer of the Year. This is an
award given by the Wild Cheetah Project to the farmer who has shown
the most co-operation or the most dramatic change in attitude towards
cheetahs. It was difficult for the Wild Cheetah team to single out one
particular person as many farmers work very closely with them. However,
one particular farmer showed a total change in attitude towards cheetahs
over the past year or two. Kiewiet van Rooyen is a farmer in the Thabazimbi
area and when Kelly first visited the farm he was very negative towards
cheetahs. He told her that if he saw a cheetah on his farm that he would
shoot it, mince it, burn it, then bury it. However, after several years
of working with Kiewiet and feeding results from the census research
project in the area back to him, he is now very positive towards cheetahs.
There is a camera trap out on his farm and a capture cage will be set
for collaring and releasing this year. Kiewiet can’t wait to catch
a cheetah in either!
The
success of a vulture release is reflected in the wellbeing of the free-ranging
vulture over an extended period of time. It is not yet known what the
survival rate of these released rehabilitated vultures is. Because vultures
are not restricted in movement by structures such as fences, human habitation
or high mountain ranges, follow-up monitoring by way of observations
is problematic. The use of cellular tracking devises, where the exact
location of each bird fitted with a tracking device can be plotted (even
when out of cellular coverage), offers an effective way of monitoring
the long-term survival of released vultures. This is a first for De
Wildt and a first for South Africa.
In
March 2003, Deon Cilliers of the De Wildt Wild Cheetah Project received
a call to collect a cheetah from a farm near the Botswana border in
the North West Province. When Deon got there he found a very stressed
cheetah that had been chased with dogs, tied up with ropes and put into
a dark store room under an old vehicle canopy. Deon eventually managed
to load the cheetah into a crate after having difficulty administering
the drugs and getting them to take effect on the stressed cheetah. He
drove the long drive to the holding facility where the cheetah was immobilized
and we were able to inspect his injuries.
A
tour of the De Wildt Cheetah and Wildlife Trust and the opportunity
to have a closer look at the species bred at the centre recently encouraged
a local sculptor to create a masterpiece. Freddie Peens of Schoemansville
was employed by the SAPS for fourteen years where he worked as a forensic
anthropologist. He left the Services and started his own business in
the Hennopsriver Valley where he creates sculptures of wildlife, mostly
native species. Freddie sculpts the originals which are then cast in
concrete. Replicas of the originals are sold and are often used as garden
décor. Freddie told Kormorant that he was fascinated by the cheetahs
and took plenty of photographs when he visited the centre. After completion,
Freddie decided that a replica of his creation should find a home at
the De Wildt Cheetah and Wildlife Trust. His donation was delivered
on Friday 10 February. Ann van Dyk, owner of the centre, accepted the
gift with open arms. Ann said she had seen many sculptures of cheetah
and was aware of the fact that it was not easy to sculpt these animals.
“I must congratulate you on a job well done. Thank you very much.
Your gift will definitely enhance the entrance to the reception area.”
Ann said gratefully. Freddie said he planned to donate several of his
other creations to the centre which they could use in their gardens.
“I hope that people will see the animals I create and become more
aware of them and the importance of conservation,” Freddie said.
The
two males at the Tswala Reserve in the Northern Cape, Starsky and Hutch
were prepared for their second release with the visit of Trent Barclay
from the Auckland Zoo who was shooting a series on a variety of cat
re-introduction locations.
A
message from Deon Cilliers, Manager of the Wild Cheetah Project on the
re-collaring of one of the relocated cheetahs. The reserve is called
Makulu-Makete and is situated in the Limpopo province of South Africa
near the Botswana-Zimbabwe-South Africa borders.
The
mission of Reach for a Dream is as follows: “We believe in
the power of dreams. We encourage children to use their dreams to fight
life-threatening illnesses. And we seek as far as possible to make dreams
come true.” 
An
almost country-wide outbreak of Three-day-stiffsickness in cattle, ascribed
to the high rainfall this summer, poses a potentially lethal threat
to southern Africa’s vulture populations due to the treatments
being used to address the symptoms of the disease. 
Copyright
© De Wildt Cheetah and Wildlife Trust, 2005