The NCCC have welcomed three more cheetahs into the soft release
holding camp to begin their environmental adjustment period in view for
possible release at a later stage.
The three cats in question are an eight-year-old female named ‘Laura’
and her two 24-month-old female cubs ‘Sandy’ and ‘Rusty’. Laura was trapped on
a hunting farm in the Otjiwarongo area over two years ago along with her young
cubs. N/a’an ku se were called and the cheetah family was taken to N/a’an
ku se’s Wildlife Sanctuary.
The start of the NCCC last June has now presented us with the chance
to possibly release this family back to the wild or at the very least provided
them with extremely large new home.
Upon their arrival Laura and her cubs were taken straight to the
500ha soft release camp where we document their daily movements via tracking
collars. In this case it was important that each individual was fitted with a
collar as it can be expected that the cubs will soon split from their mother.
For
the first night, the cats were left in our small holding pen to
adjust to their new environment. By the next morning the cats were ready
for their first meal, a large tasty zebra leg. This ensured they had
some energy to begin
exploring their new home.
Since that day the family has continued to stay together and they
have been found in all sections of the pen. Also, Laura has already made her
first kill, a jackal.
However, a year and a half in captivity have left their marks and
they often approach the tracking vehicle in anticipation of food. We will
continue to observe the family and see if his type of behaviour can be reduced,
as a high level of habituation can be very problematic for their suitability
for release. We will of course keep you updated on our new family’s progress.
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