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NEWS TOO…
 Alongside
many positive reports coming from the De Wildt Wild Cheetah Project,
sometimes we also receive sad news.
Kelly and Deon have been
tracking and studying a pair of cheetah males named Joss and George
for a few years now. In early August Deon noted that Joss had not moved
from his position since the previous tracking session. Worried, Kelly
drove to the area and eventually found Joss’s remains along with
his collar in the thick bush. This was very sad for all concerned as
they had gotten to know him very well over the years. On a brighter
note it seems that he died naturally and at nine years old, he was a
very good age for a wild cheetah. We hope that his buddy George will
be OK without him.
In the same week
they received a report from Atherstone that a cheetah had been hit by
a car in Thabazimbi. Concerned that it may be one of their collared
cheetah, Kelly flew down as soon as possible to look for the injured
animal. The Atherstone staff had spent a whole day looking for the cheetah
and eventually found it late in the evening. Sadly this magnificent
male had a badly shattered leg and his back legs were paralysed. The
difficult decision was made to euthanase him and to avoid a great deal
of needless suffering. What a terrible accident and what a waste of
a stunning young cat.
Ntombi
Heads Back to Hlambanyati
 Ntombi,
the cheetah female who was shot by poachers in the head a while ago
has undergone a lot of care and attention under Dr Peter Caldwell. She
was recently released onto Hagne Sanctuary, a 400 hectare cheetah camp
near Bela Bela in Limpopo, belonging to Mr. Pierre Labuschagne of Bear
Engineering.
Ntombi was carefully watched and cared for at Hagne and it was decided
that she was ready to return to Hlambanyati in Northern Zululand of
Kwazulu Natal.
Charl Senekal of Hlambanyati traveled down to Hagne to collect her.
It was a very emotional moment when Charl and Ntombi met each other
again, after the ordeal that Ntombi had been through. As Dr Peter Caldwell
darted Ntombi to crate her for her return, Charl approached her and
sat at her head as she fell asleep. All the staff at Hagne, Deon of
the De Wildt Wild Cheetah Project and Dr Peter Caldwell could hardly
keep the tears out of their eyes.
The De Wildt Wild Cheetah Project would once again like to thank all
those that made the recovery of this amazing animal possible. This was
a cheetah that arrived nearly dead and is now back were she belongs
in the thick bush of Hlambanyati Game Reserve.
Bray Farmers
sets Benchmark for Cooperation in Research
 A
farmer in the Bray area, Erich Graupner, has recently taken the bold
step to approach the De Wildt Wild Cheetah Project in order to initiate
a collar and release project for predators in the Bray area. Mr Graupner
recently captured a female leopard that was predating on his antelope
and decided to have her collared and released in order to collect the
first ever scientific data relating to these predators in this specific
area of the Kalahari.
The Bray area is known for intolerance from many landowners towards
predators and in most cases such animals are shot. Many predators such
as cheetahs are also captured and sold on the black market from this
specific area.
It is hoped that the information gathered from this collar and release
will provide information that will prove to landowners in the Bray area
that predators such as leopards (and maybe cheetahs in the future) do
actually use large areas and that they do not have a detrimental effect
on the antelope species on game ranches.
Mr Graupner fondly named the leopard “Ramala”. Luke Strugnell
of the De Wildt Wild Cheetah Project collared the female and released
her on Mr Graupner’s farm. Mr Graupner keeps close tabs on Ramala
and keeps the farmers in the area well informed. The collar for Ramala
was generously sponsored by HOTGROUP, a new company which is manufacturing
cell/gps collars in South Africa
Ron Magill
of Miami Metro Zoo donates scope
 For
several years De Wildt has been engaged in research into the causes
of the prevalence of gastritis amongst captive cheetah. This essential
research work recently received a major boost thanks to a donation from
Ron Magill of the Miami Zoo.
Dr Peter Caldwell is a regular face around the centre. He comes in at
least once a week to scope cheetah and continue his investigations into
helicobacter gastritis, a bacterial influenced gastritis that he says
affects cheetah in captivity all across the world. “This results
in vomition (vomiting), diarrhea and inability to absorb and digest
food,” he says.
Until recently the weekly scoping sessions have been a rather trying
experience, with Dr Caldwell never quite certain that the outdated fiber-optic
scope would leave her temper tantrums at the door and actually to decide
to function for a while.
This is now a thing of the past. About two months ago Ron Magill arrived
at De Wildt, an out of season Santa Clause laden down with a very special
present – a refurbished Video Endoscope.
Valued at about a quarter of a million rand when purchased new, Dr Caldwell
says this scope is far superior to the fiber-optic scope. For starters,
it is connected to a large monitor that makes it far easier to look
and see what is going on inside the cheetah’s gut. This is already
a great enhancement, but it pales into insignificance when you consider
another of the Video Endoscope’s functions.
According to Dr Caldwell, the new machine facilitates the recording
of visual, pathological and macroscopic data to CD. This means that
the researchers now have a hard copy of the information collected from
each and every scoping session – data that can be archived and
studied at leisure.
Dr Caldwell’s ongoing research follows on from the nutrition trials
conducted at De Wildt over a period of four years. He says that the
scientists involved – Dr Remo Lobetti, Emily Lane and Dr Sarah
Miller – will most likely be publishing their research findings
by the end of this year.
Through De Wildt’s efforts, information is now being made available
on a condition that previously nothing was known about. Dr Caldwell’s
research is ongoing, being conducted on about 100 cheetahs per year.
He says that this research is about increasing the success rate and
health of cheetah; and that this scope is a crucial element.
 African
Wild Dog Exhibition held at Sasol
Sasol, known for
its support of the endangered African wild dog conservation project
at De Wildt held a collaborative exhibition about the wild dog during
July. A visual presentation about the wild dog, and paintings by Sonja
Brits, well-known fine artist from Gauteng, formed part of the programme.
Jan Fourie, chairman of the De Wildt Cheetah and Wildlife Trust gave
a short talk on the endangered African wild dog. Prof Henk Bertschinger
also shared his knowledge and Deon Cilliers gave a presentation.
Volunteer
Programme in Full Swing
 Amos
and his young volunteers escaped the city for an exciting and enjoyable
week at Shingwedzi during the July school holidays. Assisted by Shawn
from Makulu Makete, Amos oversaw some pretty serious painting and cleaning
work by the volunteers. There was also time for fun, including going
on tours and meeting Bonte, the Shingwedzi ambassador.
The De Wildt volunteer program
recruits young people between the ages of 14 and 17 from schools in
the Ga-Rankuwa area. Twenty to Thirty volunteers pledge to give 40 hours
of their spare time to the centre during the course of the year. This
time is spent in a variety of ways:
The volunteers spend time
learning about De Wildt and the work done at the centre. They get to
enjoy tours, presentations and to meet with the ambassadors. Their work
carried at De Wildt mainly involves the eradication of alien plant species
and general cleaning duties. The volunteers also go out into the community
on litter collection campaigns, and to the Ga-Rankuwa Hospice where
they assist in the planting and maintenance of a vegetable garden.
As reward for their hard
work, the volunteers will graduate in a special ceremony at De Wildt
in November. We believe that
this is a very valuable and enriching experience for these youngsters.
As well as gaining a deeper understanding of environmental issues, they
leave the program with a real sense of purpose and achievement.
Egyptian
Vultures
 If
you have been fortunate enough to witness an Egyptian vulture cracking
open an ostrich egg or perhaps have attempted to tell the difference
between the nearly identical sexes of the Egyptian vulture, then you
are probably one of the people who have visited De Wildt Cheetah and
Wildlife Rehabilitation centre This is one of the very few places where
we can still view these remarkable birds. These birds, that are specially
adapted to survive the harshest sand storms of Namibia, cannot survive
our human threat. They are dying at such a rapid rate that they have
already been declared extinct as a breeding species in South Africa.
These amazing creatures are
among the few animals that use tools, very much like our primitive stone
tools: they will carefully pick out a stone that is the correct weight
and size, and then they will skilfully throw the stone at an ostrich
egg to open it, so they can eat the nutritious food inside. These vultures
not only feed on dead meat and eggs but also on decaying fruit and vegetables
as well as insects and young chicks. In fact these birds will eat anything
that is even remotely edible, including faeces, dung beetles and maggots.
The Ancient Egyptians realised this bird’s value as a scavenger
that kept towns clean of refuse, they even made it a crime punishable
by death to kill a “Pharaoh’s Chicken” (their name
for an Egyptian vulture). The Egyptian vultures, with their white feathers
and yellow faces, have been captured in art since the time of hieroglyphics,
yet their beauty is rarely appreciated. Thanks to De Wildt’s rescue
efforts, people may still see this dying race without the aid of an
artist’s brush. However, how long this will remain so is up to
all of us. After working with these birds for a few years, I have come
to realise their underlying majesty, as well as the great responsibility
that we have to protect them.
One of the experiences I
have had with Egyptian Vultures is with a charming fellow aptly named
Snapper. Snapper is a peaceful bird for most of the year, but during
breeding season, Snapper earns his name by launching himself onto people’s
shoes and snapping at their laces. The dislike of shoelaces seems to
be a common trait among vultures. To see for yourself that this is true,
come and visit De Wildt Cheetah and Wildlife Centre, although it is
advisable to wear old shoes when you do.
Written by Michelle and
Alister Kemp.
Danes,
Cats and Goats
Not all of the
animals at the De Wildt Cheetah Centre are wild. Over the years a veritable
menagerie of domestic animals have joined the De Wildt family, and we
would like to mention just a few…
Nkosi and Modjadji
- the Great Danes
 From
personal experience, I am still convinced that Ann’s Great Danes,
Nkosi and Modjadji were acquired specifically to test the nerve of potential
interviewees. Indeed they so intimidated a visiting tradesman last week
that he locked himself in his car and called his head office for help.
In spite of appearances though, both dogs are absolute darlings and
love being around people. They particularly love slipping into the office
in the hope of begging a treat from Marilyn or slobbering all over any
unsuspecting victim. Unfortunately for them they are preceded by loud
panting and a rather potent doggy smell which makes sneaking up on people
almost impossible!
 Lucy
- the Cat
Lucy the cat is
a more recent addition to the team. She was caught about three months
ago by Dorette behind the meat rooms. Hissing and spitting like a real
wild child, she was taken to Peter Caldwell for a medical check up.
 When
she returned with a clean bill of health, she was kept in the hospital
wing until she got used to being around people. She now roams freely
around the hospital and love sneaking up on our students and trying
to chew their ankles. It was hoped that she would play
a role in pest control but she is far more interested in stealing chicks
out of the crate reserved for her cousins the African wild cats. As
for her more distant relatives the cheetahs – she finds them very
intimidating and I don’t think that she’ll be pilfering
their food any time soon.
Jedi and his Goats
Finally we are pleased
to announce that Jedi, our resident Anatolian shepherd dog, once more
has a herd to watch over. Well, not quite a full herd but a mother goat
and her kid, kindly donated by the Kemp family. The goats are absolutely
gorgeous and real characters. One of their favourite tricks is to try
and climb on peoples heads to reach those succulent leaves on the trees
above them. The little kid is very feisty and loves to head butt anybody
who gets too close. Needless to say Jedi is over the moon to be part
of a herd again.
Liam's
Cheetah Book
 It
seems that our supporters are getting younger and younger! At the Safari
West fundraiser in California, Liam Crettol presented Vanessa with a
beautiful project to thank her for her work with cheetahs.
His cheetah project was beautifully
put together with photographs alongside his own writing and illustrations.
The team at De Wildt have really enjoyed reading it and when Liam fulfils
his ambition of going to live in Namibia, we hope that he will come
to visit us too.
Thank you Liam!
From the
Adoptions Desk
The adoption program
continues to grow and grow, providing invaluable care and support to
the many different animals both here at De Wildt, and at the Shingwedzi
Wildlife Ranch.
Our special thanks goes to
all those parents who continue to support us year after year, and a
huge welcome to our many new adoptive parents.  We
continue to gain interest from people all over the world and I would
like to particularly thank all those who supported Vanessa on her trip
to the USA and who also took out adoptions.
It is worth mentioning one
extraordinary individual. At the Safari West Fundraiser ten year old
Daniel Speciale stood up and announced that he had saved up the impressive
sum of $250 and that he wanted to donate it to the cheetahs. The audience
were so touched by his big-heartedness that they ended up donating just
under $2,500! Well done Daniel and thank you for your unselfish and
generous gesture. We also loved your beautiful drawing!
New Parents
Diamond Level
Annelize Greyling, Gilla Kaplan, Sophie Mars, Henry Mars, Daniel Speciale,
Sandee LaPedis, Victoria Hutson, The Brinkmann Family, The Turner Family
Platinum Level
Jonathan Wong, Michael Wong, A&M Hartmann, The Feder Family, Kees
Mudde, Sally Anne McGrath, Victoria & Ian Hart x4, Eric & Carina
Viljoen, Viki Pippin, Karryl, Tristan Pippin
Gold Level
Chris Maude, David Moore, Judith Krueger, Tanni & Al Graichen, Trudie
London, Ashley Warrenton Smith, Susan Elwood, Dricky Simpson, CMJ van
Emmenis, Neal & Nicole Duemke, Max Maier, Tess Chapman, Ed Anderson,
Sheryl Tongue, Dawn Denkins
Silver Level
Thia and Pieter van der Westhuizen x2, Sam Purchas, Patricia Kuhn, Sarah
Glyn, Rosemary Adcock, Enid Medew, Xanthe van Zyl, Heinrich Stahr, Charmaine
Nagel, Catherine Anne Kerr, Su Drzewicka, Laerskool Marble Hall, Thomas
Borchert, Isobel Sempill, In Memory of Andrea Hepplewhite, Victoria
L Humbert, Jennifer Cochran, Gayle & Wanda, Simone Kopitzki, Jody
R Vogt, Zanny Blew, Mary Stevenson, Emil & Lone Korsgaard, Kyra
Thompson, Tina Venter, Caryl Buclestern, The Coleman Family, Paul Edmonds,
Jennifer Terry x2, Ellen Edgerton, Cynthia Edgerton, Peyton Anne James,
Alan Keefler, Maya Granger, Martha Berglund, Julia, Chloe, Alexis, Sabrina
& Kayle, Marilyn Farmer, Ashley Hack, Alexa Hack, Erika Rasmussen,
Lukas Rasmussen, Virginia Kain, Mark Penney, Graeme & Adele Hosken,
Ulandi van der Walt, Cedric Etienne x2, Karen Lishman
Renewals
Diamond Level
Jessica Blunk, Luke & Kylie Kisby, Jonathan Long & Marie Scarpa,
Ann Nagda
Platinum
Marianne Gray & John Reiss, Dee Hutchinson, Connie Hutton, Jane
& Mark Williams
Gold
Caroline Loughrey, Reed & Dody Fisher, Monika Gehl, Brigitta Gehl
Silver
Paula Marland, Natasha Pogulis, Cynthia Edgerton
Vanessa’s
Trip to the USA
I had a wonderful
opportunity to visit with friends from the USA. After an exhausting
18 hour flight I was able to share in July 4 celebrations in Washington
DC, although inclement weather did result in people seeking cover in
nearby buildings.
My trip started at Safari West in California where I was eased into
my USA trip in true “African” style – overnighting
in a tented camp and falling asleep to the night sounds of African animals.
A special dinner was arranged with South African wines, music and of
course their beautiful cheetah. Marie Martinez pulled out all the stops
to ensure a memorable evening. Two young cheetah lovers Daniel and Liam
touched my heart with special gestures (see articles in this newsletter).
My next stop was the Animal Ark in Reno. Another warm welcome awaited
me at the beautiful sanctuary. Temperatures were high and I had to hide
indoors during the day but as usual the sunsets were magnificent and
the event arranged for De Wildt was graced with a spectacular run by
De Wildt’s cheetahs Zulu, Moyo and Jamar. The 3 cheetahs left
me speechless as they raced on the dusty field. The relationship that
De Wildt has with Animal Ark is deeply valued and my special thanks
go to Diana and Aaron Hiibel and Mike and Candice Brown for continued
financial support of our wild cheetah project. Reno is also home to
adopted “family” John and Kay Pohlman who are now grandparents
of some “wild children”. Leopards Etc is a unique educational
programme run by Rob and Barbara Dicelly. They have been pioneers in
the field of an innovative approach to education and their cheetah have
raised hundreds of thousands of Dollars for cheetah. An event at Rob
and Barbara’s home raised valuable Dollars for De Wildt. Barbara
is renowned for her cooking and again she did not disappoint.
My time in Denver was filled with action morning to night. Beading parties,
dinners and reunions with friends that I have known for many years.
Necklaces are made for our gift shop at the beading parties. Mine are
never really very nice and I normally have to buy them. We had 4 very
successful events with literally hundreds of conservation fans. Rob
and Barbara Dicelly travelled many many miles with King cheetah Kgosi
and normal coat Kamua. They charmed the people as only our feline friends
can. Thanks to the Duemke family for opening their homes and their hearts
to De Wildt and to me.
Cathryn Hilker is a legend in terms of cheetah conservation and she
has supported programmes in Namibia, Botswana and South Africa for many
years through the Angel Fund of the Cincinnati Zoo. At an event at the
Zoo, Annie Beckhelling (Trustee of De Wildt and founder and Director
of Cheetah Outreach) were able to inform partners and supporters about
our collaborative efforts for conservation in South Africa. Cathryn
ran her cheetah boys (from South Africa) as well as her beloved female
cheetah Sarah. The two brothers ran well toghether but the female Sarah
grabbed the lure and ran off with it and wouldn’t let go –
just like a female.
I was joined on my trip by two trustees of De Wildt, Annie Beckhelling,
as mentioned above and Christine Janks who is based in Chicago and Florida.
Christine is in the process of opening a sanctuary in Florida and is
likely to have two cheetah ambassadors in the not too distant future.
New friends in Dallas, the Fyfe family, made me feel very welcome and
spoiled me with a Texan meal. Thank you Calista for being such a good
“mom” to our cheetah Graca.
There are so many people to mention but space is a limitation. You are
all making a dream come true – by saving the cheetah you are also
saving wild places, educating children – some of whom will find
jobs in the conservation industry.
Blouberg
Vulture
On 8 May, a vulture
cell phone tracking device was fitted onto an adult female Cape Vulture
in the Blouberg Nature Reserve after she had undergone rehabilitation
for a period of 8 days. The bird was grounded due to weather conditions.
On 9 May she was released and took off into Botswana where she spent
another week foraging and then returned to Blouberg in Limpopo Province.
For the next 3 months the Cape Vulture spent her time between Blouberg
and Botswana. Then during the last week of July, she flew into the Rustenberg
area of North West Province. Soon afterwards she joined the Cape Vultures
in Magaliesberg at the Skeerpoort colony for a period of about 3 days
before flying westwards along the Magaliesberg Mountains to the Nooitgedacht
breeding colony about 20 Kms away. She has so far remained with this
colony and has begun foraging along their tracked foraging path. It
is unsure whether this bird originally came from the Blouberg Cape Vulture
colony or the Magaliesberg breeding colonies.
This study was done in collaboration with the Rhino and Lion Wildlife
Conservation NPO (Vulture Programme) and the De Wildt Cheetah and Wildlife
Trust.
Kerri Wolter
Luke's
Diary - Field Officer in the Wild Cheetah Project
On the cheetah
front in the Alldays area there have been some interesting and sad developments
in the past few months. It all started with one of Cheetah Conservation
Botswana’s (CCB) cheetahs moving across the border and into the
Swartwater area. This cat was held up by a new game fence being put
up and as such spent about a week easily visible from the main tar road.
The local farmers were all really supportive and happy to have the cat
in the area and the local school bus even stopped every morning to check
on the cat’s whereabouts and status.
After much discussion the
cat was caught with a capture cage and a goat, and released again on
request from CCB so that her movements could be monitored using her
cell/gps collar. Unfortunately a week later we received a call saying
the cheetah had been shot and that no one knew who had done it! The
collar was retrieved and given back to CCB but the only positive outcome
of the situation was that the farmers got involved and motivated for
cheetah conservation. The incident highlighted the work that we do on
the wild cheetah program and everyone in the area that came in contact
with her is now fully behind us.
Unbeknown to us her sister,
who had also recently crossed into South Africa, had also been shot
a few days before but this time there was a witness and the case has
been taken to court. The accused is due to appear in court again on
the 23rd August and we are all waiting for the outcome of the case.
This incident, while also very sad and completely unacceptable, has
also served to highlight our work. Many farmers and members of the general
public that I meet on a day-to-day basis ask me about the incident.
So far everyone is hoping, like us, that the maximum penalty will be
given and that the “Professional hunter” who shot her will
be made an example of!
The Anatolians have also
been very interesting in the past few months. Gillian, the dog on the
Opperman farm, had a run in with a warthog and returned home with two
big holes in her side. She continued to work well for the next few days
and showed no sign of how bad the wound was. I eventually took her to
the vet in Polokwane and she was stitched up and given antibiotics.
It was fascinating to see Gillian’s reaction to being taken away
from her flock. She whined and kept looking back at them when we left
and started barking and pacing up and down when we returned, showing
just what kind of a bond these dogs develop with their charges!
A farm close to Alldays has
also been located where we will be test placing Anatolians with cattle.
If this is successful, it will give us a great tool for helping farmers
who suffer cattle losses. The project promises to be an interesting
one and I urge everyone interested to keep a close eye on the next newsletter
where we will be able to give feedback on the project.
Other than that the time
has been going very quickly with lots of farm visits and a fair amount
of leopard work on the farms. I have, in the past few months, collected
3 leopards from farms and have been involved in the collaring of another
1 in the Bray area. These leopards were all released back into the wild
after a short spell in holding and according to our data, are moving
around nicely in their new areas.
This poem
was written by one of the students from Sandringham High School following
their visit to the De Wildt Cheetah Centre
Spots-
Dark tears
Imprinted in disguise
Beauty endangered by greed
Fly!
Should
you wish to be on our newsletter list please contact us:
Cheetah@dewildt.org.za
We'd love to hear from you!!
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