Cheetahs Released onto Selati Game Reserve

Posted by Sam Hopkins on 19th Mar 2015

Hi everyone – we've just received some really exciting news from the staff and facilitators out at the 'Great Lion Project'. Three cheetahs, the first of their kind on the reserve, have just been released! This is a really thrilling time for both volunteers and reserve staff, as Selati Game Reserve is now able to boast an extensive range of carnivores. We can't wait to hear how well they become accustomed to the reserve! Read below facilitator Sabrina's account of the release and see some of the pictures she has managed to take:

"Here we are, as promised, with some beautiful photos from the three cheetahs that have just been introduced in the reserve! We have released one female and two males into the reserve and we cannot wait to see how they get on. We are ensuring their stay within a large fenced enclosure in order to acclimatize them and monitor how they are getting along, before we release them into the wider Selati ecosystem. They have all been fitted with a tracking collar so it would be easier to monitor them! Have a look at the video below and see their release for yourself:

Every day since their release we have driven past the enclosure to have a look at how they are getting on. Subsequently, we then report to the management of the reserve if they are doing ok, if they are relaxed and in which area of the boma they prefer to spend their time. However, often they are hidden within the long grass – it makes them quite hard to spot!

The photos posted here show the female. She has some little dots above the nose - we just need to understand if they can be used as a pattern for her identification or not. Are they permanent, or are they just temporary? This is something which we will need to assess over the next two months.

Ultimately, the spots pattern is the most vital thing in order to determine the ID of an animal with spots (leopard, hyena, cheetah etc). Keep your eyes peeled as we take more photos and share them with all of our volunteers"!

Wow – certainly exciting times at the 'Great Lion Project'. We can't wait to hear more news and photo updates in the coming few months! If you would like to join this fantastic project and volunteer in South Africa to see how the cheetahs are getting on for yourself, then please don't hesitate to 'Enquire or Book Now' via our website page. If you have any further questions about the release, please email us ([email protected]) – we'd love to hear from you! TGP Team.

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