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Earlier news
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Southern Africa Range Wide Conservation Planning Initiative for
Cheetahs and Wild Dogs - December 2007
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In December, Jwana Game Park and facilities provided by Debswana became the venue for the Southern Africa Range Wide Conservation Planning Initiative for
Cheetahs and Wild Dogs. Delegates from nine other African nations joined
those from Botswana with the key aim of developing a strategy to ensure the
long term survival of cheetahs and wild dogs across the remainder of their
natural range. Organized by the Global Cheetah Forum, CCB assisted with on the
ground logistics and support for attendees. The week-long event was
opened by Botswana’s Minister of Environment, Wildlife and Tourism, the Honourable Kitso Mokaila, who enthusiastically discussed the developing strategies for providing a road map to achieve a sustainable future for these threatened species. Following the successful completion of the workshop, delegates then transferred to Gaborone prior to attending a three day national
workshop, with discussions based upon the amalgamation and fi ne tuning
of regional strategies into those of individual nation states.
Global Cheetah Forum Botswana Workshops The process was especially important
for the development of a National Cheetah and Wild Dog Strategy for Botswana -now at the review stage and hopefully available in the middle of this year. We wish to thank all the visiting delegates, who during a brief respite, took time to visit CCB facilities here at Mokolodi Nature Reserve and to meet members of our staff. |
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Publication on the Status and Conservation Needs of Cheetahs in Southern Africa - November 2007
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CCB contributed the Botswana perspective to the publication of a special edition of Cat News focusing on the status of cheetah in Southern Africa. Published by the IUCN’s Cat Specialist Group and as a result of the previous regional cheetah workshop, held at the facilities of CCF in Namibia in December 2005, this issue focused upon the Status and Conservation Needs of Cheetahs in Southern Africa. CCB contributed by providing a Status Report for Botswana. Together with these special publications, a Cheetah Compendium has also been launched on the Cat
Specialist Group web site at: www.catsg.org |
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New CCB vehicles - November 2007
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During October, CCB again benefited from the steadfast consideration of the
Howard G. Buffett Foundation when we were awarded three brand new
Toyota 4X4 vehicles. CCB’s recent growth and a better ability to reach
more rural communities has been matched by greater demands upon an aging vehicle fleet and increasing operating challenges that have followed. This outstanding award now makes it possible (together with fleet operating support from the Predator Conservation Trust, Virginia Safari Park, Panther Ridge, Reston Zoological Park, the Zoological Society of Washington, Cougar Mountain and Richmond Metro Zoo) to forge ahead with scheduled community activities
without being ruled by the vagaries of operating only older
vehicles. This wide recognition of just how important vehicles are to our work, given the scale of investment required, is immeasurable on any usual scale of gratitude, but we thank you all nevertheless! |
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Fundraising trip to the USA - October 2007
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The recent fundraising trip to the US was exciting and successful The main event was the annual Wildlife Conservation Network Expo of which CCB is a partner. Several events are organized over the course of a week in San Francisco, including talks, dinners and exhibitions.
This event is a great way to network with the donors and in the past years the relationships which have been built up at the event have continued to bring funds in throughout the year. Thankyou so much to WCN and all of the people who contribute to make these events so inspiring.
An event was then organized at Project Survival at Sierra Endangered Cat Haven to raise funds near Fresno, CA. They have ambassador cats and the aim is that funds raised through these animals goes to wild cat conservation. Thanks so much as always!
Then we traveled to New York City for a talk at Seyfarth Associates which was kindly organized by Candace Quinn. A talk at Greenwich High School was well received by all students. Then we also did a talk at the Bronx Zoo. Thankyou so much to everyone for all of your help!
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EMPLOYMENT VACANCY!
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Community Education & Conservation Officer (Based in Ghanzi)
A vacancy exists for a mature, motivated, confident and hard working individual aged 21+, possessing a Diploma in a natural sciences subject and some experience in wildlife management/conservation and education. Must be a citizen of Botswana, computer literate, be able to efficiently plan and manage schedules and must also hold a full, clean Driving Licence with some experience of 4X4 vehicle operation.
Based in Ghanzi, duties include organizing and conducting farm and shool visits, community presentations, the preparation of supporting materials and report writing, plus assisting with other CCB activities when required. The ideal candidate for this post will have a passion for wildlife issues and be dedicated to predator conservation in Botsawna.
The closing date for Applications is close of business on Monday the 12th November 2007.
SEND: A detailed CV and cover letter by post or e-mail to:
The Managing Director, Cheetah Conservation Botswana, Private Bag 0457, Mokolodi Nature Reserve, Gaborone.
e-mail: info@cheetahbotswana.com |
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CIRCUMSTANCES SURROUNDING THE LOSS OF ALICE
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CCB is now able to provide further details concerning the loss of our rehabilitated cheetah, Alice. The cat's death was the result of an illegal hunt and since breaking the news to you, the professional hunter allegedly responsible has been questioned by Police, and appeared before a South African Court. Both Alice's pelt and the cell collar she was wearing at the time have been recovered by the South African authorities.
Ann Marie attended the court hearing on behalf of CCB on Thursday 27th July, to provide evidence and background information. A prosecution is being pursued by South African Environmental Management Inspectors (also known as the 'Green Scorpions'), seeking a fine of up to R150,000 and the revoking of a hunting licence. The professional hunter, Mr. Erwin Kruger from an organization called Kruger African Safari's, appeared before the court to answer charges of 1; shooting a cheetah, and 2; allowing his client to shoot a cheetah. The court proceedings received coverage on South African radio and while Mr. Kruger now seeks legal council, the court was adjourned pending a further hearing in November/December.
We wish to thank all our friends and associates across the border, especially those at the De Wildt Wild Cheetah Programme, as well as the Green Scorpions and the authorities who are pursuing the matter. |
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Leopard Cub Progress
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The female leopard cub, Botshelo (meaning 'life'), continues to make good progress at our Jwaneng facility. Now about twelve months old, she has grown considerably and hopes remain high that rehabilitation will result in her eventual release into the wild.
The cub was taken into CCB care in October 2006, after being confiscated in Ghanzi by the Department of Wildlife & National Parks. She had been originally captured when approximately six weeks old and was kept in an unsuitably small concrete and steel enclosure. Having gnawed-away all her teeth, CCB staff were naturally concerned as to whether her adult teeth would grow and if she was therefore destined for a life of captivity. She was, nevertheless, placed in a rehabilitation programme similar to that used for cheetah cubs. Within a few months her adult teeth appeared and she soon began exhibiting more usual leopard behaviour, such as climbing trees and hiding meat and bones in bushes. Her strong sense of smell and intelligence are apparent and she displays exceptional ability in locating hidden meat.
Botshelo is now approaching the release phase of her rehabilitation, after which, her initial progress will be closely monitored as she perfects her hunting techniques, learns to fend for herself and begins her second chance at 'life'. |
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Botswana Cheetah Status Report
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As announced in a previous bulletin, the Status Report has recently been completed. It is now available to view and download on this website, by visiting the 'Downloads' section. |
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'Spirit of the Kalahari' DVD Launch
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Together with our partner for this project, Lobone Creations, CCB launched its new community conservation DVD at a Gala event held at Mokolodi Nature Reserve's Worlds View Centre on Friday 13th April. The event was attended by over 170 invited guests, including Minister of Youth, Sports & Culture, The Honourable Moeng Pheto; the Mayor of Gaborone, His Worship the Honourable H. Mothei; and the Director of the Department of Wildlife & National Parks, Mrs R. Mojophoko.
Filmed in the local community and with dialogue in Setswana, with a choise of English or Setswana narration, the production is the result of some two years of planning, preparation and creation by a small team of staff, volunteers and supporters of both CCB and Lobone Creations. Telling the story of Rre Mmusi and Rre Thebe, two local farmers who use very different methods to protect their livestock and control predators on their land, the DVD is now destined to be viewed by communities across Botswana and will become an important component of our community outreach programme.
The initiative and indeed the celebration that took place on Friday 13th April, which turned out to be a great success, could not have been accomplished without the generous support of The Howard G. Buffett Foundation, the Global Environment Facility of the UNDP, Debswana and of course Mokolodi Nature Reserve. Local businesses, including Impression House, Showgroup Botswana and Sanitas also made a significant contribution towards staging this important and memorable event in our community conservation calander. (Photograph: The Honourable Moeng Pheto [left] presenting a Certificate of Achievement to Mpho Mosime, who played Rre Thebe in the Spirit of the Kalahari, at the DVD launch). |
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Orphaned Cheetah Cub, Lyra
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It is with the greatest regret that we have to announce the sudden death of CCB's latest cheetah rehabilitation candidate, Lyra. Rescued from the Ghanzi District in October 2006, the 10 month old cub had recovered from a leg fracture and had responded positively to treatment for a number of other conditions. Though showing great promise and making excellent progress under the care of Ann Marie, Kyle and Lorraine at Jwaneng, on the afternnoon of 2nd April Lyra failed to appear at the gate of the enclosure at feeding time and was soon discovered lying down under a tree. A necropsy was performed by Kyle and Ann Marie the following day. The procedure revealed that the young cheetah had a kidney abnormality and a, likely congenital, heart condition - the heart being only half that of the normal size. Specimens have been taken and are undergoing analysis. |
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IUCN Cheetah Status Report and 'Project of the Month'
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CCB's Status Report on the current cheetah population in Botswana was recently submitted to the IUCN, for inclusion into the Southern Africa Regional Status Report. Our Report, containing regional estimates derived from the most up-to-date surveys and data available, as well as other information relative to the status of the cheetah population here, will be published in a special edition of the IUCN Cat Specialist Group magazine, Cat News, later in the year. The Report will also soon be made available to download from our website.
CCB is delighted to announce that we have also been selected as the IUCN's 'Project of the Month', for April! Visit our page on the IUCN's website at Visit the IUCN link
It means a great deal to us, to have been included in this internationally respected forum at this time. |
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Decu, Alice and Gracie released in the Tuli region of Eastern Botswana.
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The last week of January CCB travelled up to the Tuli area of Botswana. We were there to collar and release the 3 cubs which have been rehabilitated and are now ready for release. They were fitted with GSM collars which will allow us to follow their movements for one year, after which the collars drop off.
It was a wonderful day to see them go free and we hope they will be successful in their independance! We will keep you updated with their progress.
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Relocating cheetah to the Central Kalahari
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October and November have been busy with relocating cheetah that have been captured by a few farmers. CCB does not promote relocation but in some case it is the only option. 3 males and 1 female were released in the Central Kahalari Game Reserve, with one 3 year old male Moeti (the traveller) being fitted with a cell collar so we can monitor his movements can be monitored. Another 9 year old male Loeto (to journey) from a different farmer was also given a cell collar and released on a cheetah friendly farm, where the farmer would like to assist our project by learning more about the cheetahs movenment and territory size. |
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Southern Ranchers Annual Field Day
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CCB was invited again to attend this annual event. Thabang had a very busy stall that was put on along with the Department of Wildlife and National Parks, we distributed materials on how to live with predators. Questions on improving techniques were discussed and site visits arranged for those requiring them.
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3 cheetah relocated to Kalahari Wildlife Management Area
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The CCB team was called to collect 3 cheetah off a farm where they were ceratinly not wanted. The farmer had no intention of wanting them collared and released back on his farm! So we took them further afield from the Ghanzi farms and into the relative safetly of the Kalahari Corridor. We hope they adapt well to their new home and learn to avoid Ghanzi this time! |
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Cheetah News on the Radio
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Thabang and Wabothle went on morning radio with GabzFM to talk about cheetah conservation and sharing the land with predators. A phone in followed the talks and farmers called in with their comments and issues. This is a great way of getting information out there and getting people involved! |
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Leopard cub, Botshelo, discovered and brought to CCB
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CCB was contacted by the Department of Wildlife to collect a leopard cub that was being kept in a chicken coup. This cub had been taken from its den at about 2 mnths of age and kept in these conditions for 2 months. All of her teeth were broken off at the gumline due to the cement walls and wire mesh of the 1m x 2.5m pen. Fortunately we were able to move her to the camp in Jwaneng where she is gaining weight, and seems to be staying far away from any human contact even when fed at night. Our hopes are that when her adult teeth grow and with an isolated, quiet area to grow up, she can be rehabilitated, released and monitored. |
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WCN Expo big success for CCB!
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CCB was invited to attend the WCN Expo for the 4th year. It was a great success, thanks to the hard work of WCN staff and conservationists. It is a very inspirational event, with talks from effective conservation projects from around the world. It gives CCB the opportunity to become well known globally and attract the support of those people wanting to join us in our mission of cheetah conservation. Thanks to you all! |
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Cubs progress well in Tuli
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Decu, Gracie and Alice, up in Tuli are doing very well. They are hunting 3 or 4 times weekly, taking mainly impala and warthogs. Their hunting techniques have improved beautifully and they will be ready to have cell collars put on and released at the beginning of the year. Once released they will be in the open farmlands of Tuli, and they will have the advantage of being surrounded primarily by cheetah friendly farmers. |
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Injured cheetah rescued
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CCB was contacted about an injured cheetah cub up in Ghanzi that appeared to be attacked by dogs, causing it to have a broken radius and ulna of the left front leg, just above the wrist joint. Our Veterinarian Dr. Kyle Good, performed a surgery requiring 4 pins to be put into the bones in order to hold them in place for 8 weeks while the leg healed. The surgery was successful, and she went down to Jwaneng to recouperate. This cheetah cub was given to us with a dog collar around her neck, and its estimated that her injuries were at least 2.5weeks old, she was starved and dehydrated.
It is likely that someone had used dogs to hunt down the cheetah family and got hold of this 2 month old female cub, due to the bite marks all over her ears and leg. It is not known what happened to the mother or other siblings. If the injuries heal well enough she can go through the rehbilitation program. We have every hope that she will recover, and be able to hunt as she gets older.
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CCB welcomes Vivienne Kent to Ghanzi!
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We'd like to welcome Vivienne Kent to our team. She joins us as a long term volunteer biologist to monitor cheetah on the Ghanzi farmlands. She takes over from Jennifer Johnson who was a wonderful member of the team and will be missed! Vivienne has experience in predator research and a Masters from Oxford University. We are very happy to have her on the team! |
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Aerial photos of study site
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Dr Brian Cluer and Charleen Gavette, 2 volunteers from the States, brought their skills of GIS and photo equipment to map and grid our entire research area with in Jwaneng, with aerial photography. Our fixed wing microlight was flown to its height limit of 11000ft above ground and aerial photos taken of the entire research area. It took over 6hrs of flying! This will be extremely helpful in our mapping and data results. |
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CCB joins Botswana Trade Fair
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CCB teamed up with Birdlife and Kalahari Conservation Society to have a stall at the Annual Botswana Trade Fair. It was an effective awareness raising tool and reached members of the public far and wide.Spreading the word on predator conservation is essential to opening a future for the cheetah in Botswana. |
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Nala seen with 6 cubs!
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This month we had visuals on Nala and were amazed to see she has 5 cubs. Choosing to keep to the thicker bush she is fairly hard to see, so we were very pleased to see her with cubs. She has kept within the reserve for the majority of her time since giving birth to her cubs and it shows what an important area Jwana Game Park is for cheetah breeding. |
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Workshop for Communal Farmers in Kanye
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CCB teamed up with the Department of Wildlife and National Parks to hold the workshop 'Living with Predators' for 60 communal farmers from the tribal lands surrounding Kanye, Southern Botswana. It was very successful and was the debut for our new community and education officers Thabang Segaetso and Wabothle Letubo. Both did an excellent job. The farmers were very interested and some great discussions were had. By working with the farming communities we believe it is possible to create a better future for the cheetahs of Southern Botswana. We are to have these workshops every 2 months in different areas of the country. Thanks to funding from the Global Environment Facility this has all become possible. |
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3 Tuli cubs are hunting successfully!
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Wonderful news that our 3 cubs, Decu, Gracie and Alice, recently released in Tuli are hunting successfully. On being released from the boma several days ago, Decu immediately took off after a steenbok and caught it with ease. Days later Gracie and Alice managed to catch a small impala. Their bellies have been full for days and it is a huge excitement for us all, this means their eventual release into the reserve is much closer to being a reality. Well done! |
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Welcome Thabang Saegetsho and Wabothle Letubo!!!
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We want to welcome our new community outreach officer Thabang, he comes to us with a BSc in Wildlife Management from Cape Town Univeristy and experience in Problem Animal Control. Welcome also to education officer Wabothle. She has a BSc from University of Botswana in Environmental Science and experience teaching a range of subjects to various groups of Botswana's youth. You are both very welcome to CCB!
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Shashe Limpopo Predator Research Group meeting in Tuli.
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CCB attended the SLPRG meeting in Charter Reserve, Botswana. The focus of the group is the status of large predators in the new transfrontier park between Botswana, Zimbabwe and South Africa. It is vital for such meetings to take place in order to share information on this important region and ensure a collaborative effort between the 3 countries to further understand and conserve large predator species in the area. |
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'Spirit of the Kalahari' will raise awareness for the cheetahs plight.
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In the last week of May CCB and Lobone Creations teamed up to film Spirit of the Kalahari. This film will be integrated into our education program and made available to schools all over Botswana. It follows the lives of 2 farmers, showing the benefits of traditional farming practices and good management, in order to conserve the land and predators, as well as what can happen when things go wrong. It is a vibrant production done by local performers in Setswana (language of Botswana) with traditional dance and song. A huge thanks go to Mike Matson who came from the UK to film the production and is currently in the process of editing. Thanks for your ongoing generosity towards Botswana conservation and education! |
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3 orphaned cheetah find a new home!
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Our 3 cheetah cubs have nearly reached adulthood and now is the next stage for their rehabilitation and release. In May they were transported up to the Tuli region of Botswana. A beautiful hilly area of Botswana in the far East. A release site on a private game reserve of 9000ha has been located. Initially, released into a boma (small enclosure for acclimitisation, they will soon be released into a 60ha enclosure where they will be closely monitored to assess their survival skills. We'll keep everyone updated on this exciting project, it is the first time this has ever been done in Botswana! |
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Cheetah Outreach come to Mokolodi
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CCB was joined by Cheetah Outreach to put on a teacher training workshop at Mokolodi Nature Reserve, on integrating predator education into schools. It was well attended by 28 teachers and is the first in a series of planned workshops. All were provided with learning resources to utilise in their schools. The teachers were inspired by the work of CCB and have invited us to come to their schools in person to give talks. Education is one the most vital keys in conservation and a priority for CCB this year. Many thanks to Catherine Hilker and the Angel Fund for making this workshop possible and to Annie and Dawn from Cheetah Outreach for the good advice and good company! |
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Training Workshop for Wildlife Department Officers
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CCB was invited to present the workshop 'Sharing the Land with Predators'to Wildlife Department Officers at their annual Problem Animal Control meeting. It was attended by 50 officers and was very successful. It included presentations on how to identify predators, from tracks, signs and behaviour and how to improve farm management to decrease losses to predators. The material will now be included in the training syllabus for Wildlife officers. Also, CCB and the Wildlife Department are now to collaborate to put on a series of workshops for tribal lands throughout Southern Botswana, in 2006. |
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Southern Ranchers Annual Field Day
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CCB was invited to attend this annual event. We had a very busy stall, where materials on how to live with predators were distributed. Questions on improving techniques were discussed and site visits arranged for those requiring them. |
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November Education Workshop
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Thabo, BK and Brian represented Cheetah Conservation Botswana at the 4th biennial African Environmental Education Conference, held in Gabarone between the 8th and 10th of November. Hosted by the Kalahari Conservation Society, the event explored the role of educators in the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development. Thabo and BK gave one of the most stirring and memorable presentations of the three day event, providing the international audience with a vivid example and insight into a grass roots conservation education programme. |
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Nala gets a Cell phone collar
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In September, Nala, a large female, was caught and collared and though she has remained in the area since her release we have yet to make visual contact again – so as to determine the progress of her suspected pregnancy. We all hope that she will remain in the park, at least during the early part of motherhood. Nala has been fitted with a cell phone collar. From the data transmitted after her release, we have been able to see that she spent some time in the park before heading north. Though we were concerned that she was transiting through commercial farming areas, no problems were reported and she has now returned to the park once more. If only we could show them where to go! The new cell phone technology is impressive. Data, at one time only gathered after many hours of tracking and driving around, is now available to us at prescribed times of the day via a mobile phone. We hope to soon include some home range maps, following the upgrading of our mapping software – made possible thanks to a generous donation from ESRI. Many thanks to Charles Convis, for his assistance. |
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Over the airwaves
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CCB has also been given airtime on a local radio station, GabzFM, in October. The morning studio interview with Thabo was then followed by a live phone-in and discussion about the plight of the cheetah and human/predator conflict. The response was very positive and lead to the recruitment of several new local volunteers. |
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WCN Expo!
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Rebecca once again attended one of the most important events of our fundraising calendar in October, the Wildlife Conservation Network’s (WCN) annual Expo in California. WCN is dedicated to promoting grass roots conservation programmes around the world, focusing on endangered species. The event brings effective conservation programmes together with potential donors, fostering long-term support for threatened species. This year’s Expo was attended by Jane Goodall of the Jane Goodall Institute, Iain Douglas Hamilton of Save the Elephants and Claudio Sillero from the Ethiopian Wolf Project, Laurie Marker of Cheetah Conservation Fund, as well as a number of other well known programmes. It is a great honour for Cheetah Conservation Botswana to be included in this group from the conservation world and our continued inclusion has, this year, resulted in the project receiving generous donations totalling $17,890 from WCN and donors. We are extremely grateful to all of the donors who have supported our work here in Botswana this year and who continue to do so every year. Before leaving the United States’ Rebecca paid a visit to Leopards Etc.,who have also become supporters of CCB, en-route to the UK and visits to Tusk Trust, Banham Zoo, the Clothworkers Association and Leeds University Biology Association. In closing, we would like to express our sincerest appreciation for the support we continue to receive from our international donor organisations and individuals. We would be unable to assist the cheetah population in Botswana without you! |
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School visits.
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Thabo and BK have been extremely busy with their programme of interactive presentations recently, visiting over twenty schools in the last five months. These presentations highlight the plight of the cheetah while placing the species in the wider predator and ecological context. Tailored to all age groups, the talks have proved so popular that schools now call us to make an appointment for a visit. School groups visiting Jwana Game Park at Jwaneng and Mokolodi Nature Reserve now also benefit from cheetah presentations.
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New Assistance in Ghanzi Camp
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The new voices for the cheetah at Ghanzi are Jennifer Johnson, Mark Lundgren, from the United States and Louise Egerton, from the UK, all donating their skills and expertise to the project for a year. In the front line of cheetah conservation in Africa and after working extremely hard to establish a viable camp, they are now developing vital links with the local community. By conducting surveys with livestock farmers, a reasonably accurate assessment – of their attitudes towards predators, current farm management practices and the predator species with which they experience problems – can be obtained. The response to this programme of building important working relationships has, so far, been positive. The baseline information gathered via surveys will enable us to build up a picture that can more clearly identify both current and potential problems and to follow-up by providing targeted assistance which can help the community to coexist with predators. We’ve already received a call to assist a farmer at Thakudu, who is experiencing problems with three
cheetah. Instead of killing them, the farmer has requested that we catch,
collar and then monitor the cats on his farm. Thank you! |
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Shashe Limpopo Predator Research Group
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In September, Rebecca and Ann Marie attended the Shashe-Limpopo Predator Research Group meeting at Sentinel Ranch, Zimbabwe. Established in 2004, the group monitors populations of large predators in the Shashe-Limpopo confluence area – the proposed site of the Botswana, Zimbabwe, South Africa trans-frontier park. The workshop was an important opportunity to discuss predator conservation in this key wildlife habitat. |
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Predator Friendly one day in Botswana?
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In August, CCB was invited to make a presentation to the Botswana Cattle Producers Association. Together with Mark Bing and Jane Freeman (predator friendly farmers who are determined to obtain a better deal for both farmers and predators) and Leopard Ecology & Conservation, CCB is currently exploring the development of a ‘Predator Friendly Beef’ initiative in Botswana. The idea, to provide a financial incentive for livestock farmers who adopt certified non-lethal methods of predator control, was well received at the meeting – although it was acknowledged by all that a considerable amount of work will be required to make the project operational. We hope that, in developing this initiative, discussions with the Cheetah Conservation Fund in Namibia will prove useful and that we can learn from their experience as we begin to construct a suitable scheme here in Botswana. |
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Cheetah in Benin
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In August, CCB received a visit from Dr Pascal Mesochina and Dr Rachael Berzins. They came on a fact-finding trip in preparation for establishing a cheetah project at the Pendjari National Park, in Benin. We look forward to future collaborations! |
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Cheetah Activity
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Several cheetah groups have regularly been sighted at Jwaneng, including a mother with two cubs, a mother with three cubs and another group of three cheetah. The recent increase in cheetah activity has coincided with the end of winter in August and most recently two groups, comprising a mother with five cubs and another with four cubs, were seen in very close proximity! We’ve also had the good fortune to catch a number of cats. In June, Naledi and her two cubs were caught and the mother’s radio collar has allowed us to find her within the park and to the south.
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On television.
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Reuters Television spent some time with us in July, covering the cubs, a farm visit and a school presentation for the wildlife section of ‘Africa in Focus’. Recently aired on South African television, the programme is scheduled to appear on Botswana TV in December.
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Media Awareness Raising
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Monthly attendance at the local cattle auction and fair has recently been supplemented by our presence at the Otse Trade Fair and the Jwana Game Park Education Fair, plus a Sunday Talk at Mokolodi Nature Reserve. At the Jwana Game Park event, CCB even managed to win a cash prize for the best stall.
The media are increasingly becoming a vital part of the awareness raising process, enabling us to reach a much wider audience |
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Male collared in Ghanzi
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Large male collared in Ghanzi farmlands. We are very pleased to announce that our new GSM collar is working! This new technology works via the cell phone network. Sending a location 5 times a day to the satellite and coming through via email or text messages to the cell phone. We decided to trial this collar from African Wildlife Tracking on our recently caught 52kg male from the Ghanzi farmlands. So far we have been relying on radiotracking and although we have collected some good data, there are times when we cannot find the collared cats and this can become very frustrating. Once released, there was a short period of silence from the satellite, when we held our breath. Five days later downloads were received. Many locations appeared with a single download, since the collar records positions and saves them, in the event that the cat is out of range. The wonders of technology….when it works! It appears he has decided to return to the Ghanzi farmlands for the time being and we hope that we can work with the farmers to keep him safe and well. |
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Sad News! Retaliatory Killings
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In May, with the microlight back in the air, we were able to locate two collars worn by our second female-with-cubs and by one of our male coalition-of-three. The collars had been cut from the cats and thrown into the bush. The realisation that the cats must have been killed by members of the farming community was painful. Though enquiries revealed no culprits, several visits to the local community have nevertheless enabled us to assist in the development of improved farm management techniques and local farmers will be invited to the tribal lands conference, ‘Sharing the land with Predators’, to be held in Jwaneng next year. While highlighting the endangered status of the cheetah, it is only by engaging constructively and positively with farming communities that we can hope to prevent repeated retaliatory killings in future. Positive results do come from our farm visits. In a number of cases, for example, we have been able to demonstrate to farmers that cheetah had not been responsible for creating problems, and to further assist by providing information to help make their land more ‘predator proof’. |
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Three Cubs United!
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We are thrilled about the progress of the cubs, which remain healthy and are growing fast. In May, we introduced the male, Decu, to the two females, Gracie and Alice, following his convalescence at Mokolodi. Having taken to each other, they are now bonded as a sibling group and have recently been introduced to live prey. Impressed at how quickly they have learned to kill, we feel there is every chance of success as we work towards the commencement of the next stage in their rehabilitation. The cubs remain at Jwaneng as plans
progress to that next step, a process which, we hope, will lead to their eventual release.
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Annual Agricultural Show
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We attended Kgale Agricultural Show in Gaborone. We had a stall distributing booklets on livestock management and predator control as well as leaflets on livestock guarding dogs, using donkeys as guard animals, efficient kraaling and more. Some very interesting discussions were had and many names collected for our mailing list. Several farmers have scheduled farm visits from us, for advice on being more predator friendly, or the way they see it: encouraging predators to be more farmer friendly! |
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Educational Visits
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As Jwaneng Park has now reopened, educational visits will commence when the schools return after Easter holidays next week. Great news came from Debswana at Jwaneng Mine when they presented us with a cheque for 12,000 pula ($2400) for the printing of our educational books. These will be distributed to schools throughout Botswana and contain information on the importance of cheetahs and predators in a healthy ecosystem and how to can learn to live with them. |
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2 female cheetah cubs join CCB
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In March we were brought 2 female cheetah cubs whose mother had been killed. They were being raised as pets when they fell ill with a mystery illness. We feared for their little lives for many days. Tests haveconfirmed it was not one of the serious viruses such as feline panleukopenia that we had considered and the cubs are making a good recovery thanks to the care of CCB staff and volunteers.They are residing now in enclosures at Jwaneng where the hope is to rehabilitate them and release them back in the wild. |
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Workshop for Southern Ranchers on 'Sharing the Land with Predators'
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Our workshop in Jwaneng on February 25th for farmers on ‘Sharing the Land with Predators’ went very well. We had a turn out of 55 people. 40 of which were farmers from the local area. The rest included the Departments of Wildlife and Animal Health and Production. The event was generously sponsored by Debswana at Jwaneng Mine. Presentations were made by Cheetah Conservation Fund’s Bonnie Schumann, who has been working on this issue for several years and the information she provided was very well received by our local farmers. Presentations were also made by Mike Sento, president of Botswana Veterinary Association; Glyn Maude of Makgadikgadi Pans Brown Hyena Project, David Mills of Khutse Leopard Project and Rebecca Klein from CCB. The workshop has gone a long way towards developing positive relationships with the farming community. |
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2 cheetah cubs sighted
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Despite an anthrax outbreak in the park and less signs of cheetah than usual, we had a wonderful sighting of 2 beautiful cheetah cubs. Their mother was off elsewhere and they were busy exploring, playing on the road and didn't mind our presence. For a shy species, in an area where it comes into conflict with man and usually avoids him, such sightings are magical. |
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Male cheetah cub from Ghanzi farmlands
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A male cheetah cub was brought to us by the Department of Wildlife and National Parks. It had been having quite an ordeal tied up at the back of a house and harassed by dogs. It appears he was being raised as a pet but didn't have the personality for it! He is currently at Mokolodi Nature Reserve after receiving treatment for stress. He is doing very well and starting to catch his own food, albeit fairly clumsily! The plan is to move him upto Jwaneng to be integrated into a group with the two females. It is hoped to release them as a group if full rehabilitation can be achieved. This will require the building of a very large
enclosure, were they can live as naturally as possible, whilst staying under observation. They will not necessarily stay together in
the wild but they will have a better chance of survival in the beginning as a group. So the Ghanzi plan to provide a rapid response
to farmers’ calls for assistance, and to save orphaned and injured cats is paying off! |
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11th November 2004 - Microlight Arrives!
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Our microlight arrived last week, so we are all very excited! Ann Marie will be flying the plane and taking care of locating our cats once they leave the reserve. So far she’s only done a couple of test flights, as its important to familiarize yourself with a new plane before starting aerial work. The model coincidentally is named the Cheetah with a Rotex 912 engine, purchased from Rainbow Aircrafts in South Africa. Funds were generously donated by the Howard Buffet. This will revolutionise our monitoring capabilities and we’ll be able to cover a much larger area than ever before. |
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15th September 2004 - New Research Camp in Ghanzi
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In September, Ghanzi in the West was visited. This is an area of commercial farming interests, both cattle and game. Farmers here have a very low opinion of cheetah and believe them to be the worst of problem predators. It has been our aim for some time to set up a camp in this area as it is a definite area of concern. We’ve made several visits, including attending a farmers festival with an educational display. Slowly we have gained a little trust we are very happy to have been offered a place to set up a small tented research camp in January of next year. Thanks to Christian de Graaf for this generous offer and also to the Kitchens for their regular hospitality. This camp will be run by Dr Jennifer Zerbel and her husband who worked with us as volunteers earlier this year. |
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1st September 2004 - New Community Officer
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Our community work has moved up a level now that we have a new member of staff. Mmusi Tutwane has joined us as our new community development officer. He has an ideal background as a guide, ranger and educator for the Wildlife Department, Conservation International and Mokolodi Nature Reserve.
Mmusi and Rebecca have been making regular visits to communities surrounding Jwaneng to assess the level of cheetah conflict and gather sightings to be used to estimate numbers.
We’ve been finding that people do perceive the cheetah as a very real threat to their livelihoods and are very open to assistance from the project. The area we are currently surveying is the same area that our collared cheetahs roam over. We have received some preliminary evidence to suggest our 3 boys have been causing problems with communities to the North of the park. So it is essential we target these areas for support.
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12th August 2004 - A mother with 5 cubs caught and collared
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A mother with 5 one year old cubs had been spotted several times in the Eastern area of the Park. They had been unusually relaxed with observers, twice approaching the vehicle and spending time watching us! In August we were successful in capturing the group, all 6 were sampled and tagged with the mother being radiocollared for monitoring. They were released at the site of capture. We have been successfully locating them since and all are doing well. |
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3rd June 2004 - Cheetah Workshop in Tanzania
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In the beginning of June we were fortunate to attend a cheetah censusing workshop in Tanzania held by the Global Cheetah Forum. It was held at Ndutu Lodge in Ngorogoro Conservation Area. The focus was on counting cheetahs and standardizing the methodologies used by cheetah researchers. As a low density, wide ranging predator cheetahs can be difficult to study. However, with the collaboration of cheetah researchers, effective methods are being developed including spoor surveys and camera trapping. As everyone works together we can ensure that techniques used are comparable between the different range countries.
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1st June 2004 - 25 cheetah identified in utilising the reserve
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25 cheetahs have been identified utilizing the park as part of their territorial range, throughout the last 10 months. There is a definite pattern of cheetah rotating throughout the boundaries of the park as part of their larger ranges, using warthog holes in the park to come and go. Due to the limitations of ground radio tracking, much of their activities outside of the park are unknown. However, a microlight has recently been donated for the purpose of aerial tracking, this will significantly expand the monitoring range.
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9th May 2004 - Coalition of brothers collared in Jwaneng
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In early May we captured a coalition of 3 brothers. They were the biggest so far, the largest was 53 kgs! They were all in great condition and after samples were taken and one was fitted with a radiocollar, they were
released back into the park. They have been moving through the North and East.
Overall, so far we have identified 20 individual cheetahs utilizing Jwaneng Game Reserve, through direct sightings. Most of them cycle through the park as part of their larger territory. The exception was the mother with young cubs, although their home range is now expanding. We have been having success with monitoring cats within the park but encounter problems with location once they move out of the park boundaries. We have been recently receiving assistance with aerial tracking but due to high costs this is limited. Our next plan to improve our monitoring is to purchase a microlight plane.
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13th March 2004 - 2 brothers relocated from farmland to wildlife management area
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In March we visited a game farm in the Southern Kalahari. The farmer had complained about regular cheetah problems and wanted them to be removed. We encouraged him to keep them but he claimed his losses were unsustainable and would not be persuaded! We set up traps where the cheetah had been spotted recently and 2 days later caught 2 cheetah brothers about 2-3 years old and in good condition. Samples were taken and one of the brothers collared. We took them 250kms away and they were released in a Wildlife Management Area, far from farmland. Due to our assistance, the farmer has now agreed to try some alternative methods of control, including swing gates and improved patrols.
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20th November 2003 - 3 adult female cheetahs caught - written by volunteer Nancy Vandermy
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We are successful in capturing 3 cheetah on 19th Nov. When we found the traps there was also a female with 2 cubs hanging out around the captured cats, although she left and did not return. The next day, Kyle and Rebeccah arrive. Blood, fur, and skin samples will be collected. We are surprised to discover they are all female! We weigh and measure them, give them ear tags and transponders. We take pictures of spot patterns for future field identification. They are all around 4-5 years old - what are adult females doing hanging out together, it is quite unusual. The second is heavily pregnant. They decide to collar the pregnant one, whom we name Maria. DNA testing will determine if they are related, and hopefully the collar will tell us if they stay together as a female coalition. Could the other female with the 2 cubs have been part of the group, and left when she had kids? CCB has picked a great place to start their research in! The next morning we release all 3 cats back into the wild where they belong and where we hope they will provide us with some important information on cheetah behaviour.
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14th November 2003 - Workshop on Living With Predators
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We recently took part in a workshop organised by the Dept of Wildlife and Monica Schiess-Meyer of the Khutse Leopard Project. It was attended by members of Dept of Wildlife, farmers and predator conservationists. It was the first workshop of its kind in Botswana and was quite successful. From sitting on very different sides of the fence in the morning, we ended up agreeing on many things and coming closer to developing positive relationships between the farming community, conservationists and the government. We hope to make this a regular occurrence. |
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2nd November 2003 - Female cheetah with 5 cubs
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We noticed repeated tracks of a mother and cubs in the deep sand of the road, we placed the trap along this and used a live goat, rented from the local village, in a seperate cage as bait. The following morning we had captured the mother. When we found her she was sat up, relaxed with all 5 cubs of about 5 months old, playing around outside the cage apparently unconcerned, until we arrived and they fled into the bush. We placed her in a squeeze box and anaesthetized her. She was weighed, measured, blood and tissue samples taken, transponder inserted, ear tagged and radiocollared. She was then released early in the evening when she had made a full recovery from the anaesthetic. After an exciting ordeal the goat was also returned to its home village!
The next morning we found her signal and then her tracks along with several smaller tracks of her cubs following behind. Since then we have found her everyday, she has killed an impala and a young hartebeest. She is so far ranging about 1.3-2.2kms each day. She appears to be an exceptional mother to have successfully reared 5 cubs to this age, as cubs often have a high mortality. This is the first study of its kind ever to be done in the country and will enable us to begin gathering essential behavioural data, essential to improve our understanding of Botswana cheetah.
We have also sighted 2 males. One was nearly captured and had walked through the trap several times but the sand had stuck the release mechanism!!! So it should not be long until we get him. Another was sighted just outside the volunteer accomodation when Jenny Cousins, our first volunteer, woke up in the morning. He had actually killed an impala inside the transit enclosure, using the fence to catch its prey. So it's all happening! |
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Earlier news