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Wildt Tales, February 2006 Hello again from a beautiful lush De Wildt. It is truly greener than ever before and it is hard to imagine that it is autumn. A great deal is happening and we have a bumper edition of Wildt Tales for you. Enjoy! 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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Exciting new website
Why not spoil your loved one this Valentine’s Day with a tour voucher from De Wildt or perhaps to take out an animal adoption in his or her name. A night at the De Wildt Cheetah Lodge would be another way to spoil your loved one for a booking. Please e-mail Zeta on cheetah@dewildt.org.za Tswalu Cheetah Release Update Tim Neary reports from Tswalu:
Although we do not like to give wild animals names, it always happens and usually due to a special occasion or unusual behaviour trait…..Mohammed, an elusive male lives on his mountain, Duchess lays on her back in fields of flowers with butterflies flying around her head. Starsky and Hutch, the latest two males soon got their names after investigating the whole reserve over 5 days and leading the researcher a merry dance until late into the evening travelling. They were released to a meal of Gemsbok on the Thursday 29the December and reluctantly started to explore their new home. On their first day of freedom we firmly believed they had 100gallon bladders as no cat could surely sent mark that many trees without topping up!!!.... On the morning after the release our two brave boys could not be found, so we went back to their holding boma and there they were safely tucked up under their bush and were none too pleased to be unceremoniously removed back into the reserve to start their search for food as “one springbok to go” no longer applied. On their 3rd day of freedom our brave hunters killed their first Blesbok and established themselves as yet again free-roaming predators doing what they do best……One of the most magical occasions I have experienced is walking with these cats as we go hunting and exploring but more about that story soon….…watch this space as we will bring you more of the Tswalu Diaries during our monitoring and learning from the Cats of Tswalu”. Hope for orphaned cheetahs.
Three new orphaned cheetah females are currently being held at the Monate Game Lodge, a private reserve in the Limpopo Province of South Africa. The De Wildt Wild Cheetah Project has a unique working arrangement with Monate which enables us to rewild orphaned cheetahs in the most natural of circumstances. Two of the three orphaned female cheetahs will be released onto Monate for rewilding during February 2006. The two females are named Mohale and Bubbles. Mohale was captured by a landowner in the Phalaborwa area of Limpopo Province after it was decided by the rancher that cheetahs were causing too much damage to game on his game ranch. She was approximately 12 months old when she was captured and donated to the Cheetah Relocation Project of the NCCF. Bubbles originated from the Kalahari area and was captured after she started predating on goats. “Bubbles” eagerly waiting at the fence of her holding boma to be released onto Monate. Both Mohale and Bubbles will be fitted with telemetry collars and will be closely monitored by dedicated staff of the Monate Game Ranch. Once capable of hunting successfully, the females will be removed and relocated to suitable reserves by the De Wildt Wild Cheetah Project. Cat Specialist Group Project of the month
The Cat Specialist Group is a network of some 200 cat specialists world-wide. This network is responsible for the observation of the status and the conservation needs of the 36 wild cat species living on our planet and for the continued Red List assessment. The group serves as a centre of information on wild cats and their conservation. The map indicates the Shashe Limpopo region which is centred around the confluence of the Shashe and Limpopo rivers. At this point Botswana, South Africa and Zimbabwe share borders but apart from a security fence along the South African border there is no impediment to animal movements. The study area for the Large Predator Research Programme will be defined by the movement patterns of the six large predators species that will be observed once the Programme is running. The starting point will be the confluence and research carried out will then determine the extent of the study area. Mr. South Africa – a conservation itinerary
It will be the task of Mr South Africa to bring the sterling efforts made by organizations and individuals involved in worthy conservation efforts to the attention of the media, and highlight the role sponsors have played in effecting these changes. Already, the well-known De Wildt Cheetah Center has thrown its substantial weight behind the idea. Rehabilitating cheetah back into the wild, the center’s Vanessa from De Wildt Cheetah remarks: “This is the best news I have heard this year. I think Mr. South African can help enormously in helping to fund the many challenges facing wildlife in Southern Africa.” TheMatlakane White Lion breeding project, which tries to conserve the rare regressive gene in lions through selective breeding, an attribute made famous by the White Lions of Thimbavati, has also enthusiastically agreed to enlisted support the support of Mr. South Africa. Some of Mr. South Africa’s duties will include: * Realigning the corporate
image of sponsors with core conservation values Asian Vulture Crisis – research update
With Meloxicam now being
proven to be safe for vultures, more specifically the African White-backed
vulture, this research project has come to an end with all relevant
scientific papers being published and released by the 31 January 2006: Seven Reasons why you should love vultures:
Open day for Adoptive Parents Welcome to all the new adoptive parents
– whose names are listed below. Your support is vital and ensures
top notch care for our animals. We are planning an open day for adoptive
parents living close to the Centre on 25 February at 08h30. Should you
be interested in attending please write to Zeta on cheetah@dewildt.org.za. Tail End Vanessa Bouwer will be visiting the USA on a fundraising and awareness trip. Her trip will take her to Denver, LA, Reno, Santa Hose and Houston to mention but a few. If you are interested in hosting a visit please write to her on vanessab@myconnection.co.za Should you wish to be on our newsletter
list please contact us: |
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We
have an exciting new website to explore. www.dewildtcheetah.co.za Students
doing research for school projects will be able to find information
as will farmers with predation problems on their land. The De Wildt
Wild Cheetah Project has comprehensive information on the Anatolian
Guard Dog project and cheetah relocations are highlighted on a map of
South Africa. The Outreach Education Department’s work is showcased
and also includes beautiful photographs of ambassador cheetahs Byron,
India, Modjadji, Graca, Muffin and Shaka. The Breeding section of the
wesite has a selection of question and answers on cheetah, wild dog
and brown hyaena as well as some lovely cub photographs. This website
was donated by Zeta Brand and is well worth a visit.
Valentine's
Spot 
“In
November of 2005 two males bonded in a coalition were taken from the
De Wildt Wild Cheetah Management Program to the 100 000ha Tswalu Kalahari
Reserve. Tswalu is the largest private reserve in South Africa and has
a 5 year plan to boost their existing nomadic cheetah and establish
a stable population of cheetah. 
During
the past two years the De Wildt Wild Cheetah Project has successfully
rewilded two orphaned cheetah females. Both these cheetahs have been
released into reserves in South Africa.
The
Sashe Limpopo Predator Conservation Group was listed as the Cat Specialist
Group Project of the month. Together with Cheetah Conservation Botswana,
De Wildt is an active member of this group. Theproject can be seen on
www.catsg.org
As
wilderness areas and the animals and plants that inhabit them start
to emerge as one of South Africa’s, and indeed, the continent’s
main economic resources, Mr. South Africa will this year be tasked to
bring the efforts to conserve some of Africa’s rarest animals
and the areas they live in, into the national spotlight. From the massive,
sprawling trans-frontier parks to the vast tracts of South African farming
land being turned into conservation areas, conservation is enjoying
unprecedented attention. But for many animals, and the people who share
these wilds, the future doesn’t seem quite as rosy. Everything
from poaching to ill-considered land use still threatens everything
from cheetahs and wild dogs to eagles and owls. Traditional communities,
meanwhile struggle to find innovative ways to manage wilderness areas
sustain ably. 
Throughout
2005, extensive research into the affects of a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory
drug called Meloxicam, was conducted by the University of Pretoria and
De Wildt. This project has been a continuation of the research funded
by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds to help save 3 critically
endangered Asian vultures. Many non-releasable African White-backed
vultures housed and rehabilitated at De Wildt, have contributed towards
this project, with very positive results. 
*
Vultures have a characteristic bald head with big penetrating eyes.
They have the ability to see vast distances. Some literature indicates
that they can see up to 6km.
Copyright
© De Wildt Cheetah and Wildlife Trust, 2005