Two female cheetah were released in Mountain Zebra National Park today, becoming the first large predators to freely roam the Park area in over 100 years.
These two cheetah, along with two male cheetah, have spent the last three months acclimatising to the local environment in bomas in the Park. The acclimatisation period in the boma has also allowed the cheetah to become familiar with the electric predator-proof fencing that now surrounds the Park.
Whilst in the boma, the cheetah were fed by rangers, but the two wild-caught cheetah will now hunt for their own prey in the Park. The cheetah were supplied by the De Wildt Cheetah and Wildlife Trust.
The two male cheetah – about five years old - will be released near the end of June, allowing the two younger females – aged 16 months old - to establish themselves in the Park.
Another two male cheetah will be released into the Park within the next two months.
The introduction of cheetah represents the climax of an expansion and re-introduction programme that was enabled by the fund-raising efforts of the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation and other organizations such as the Barbara Delano Foundation, WildAid, Sasol Limited and Vesta Medicines. The programme received a boost after it was much publicised by SABC’s 50/50 programme, enabling over one million rand to be raised and nine properties to be bought.
The cheetah will be monitored by means of radio tracking to enable rangers and researchers to study their patterns of movement and ensure that they acclimatise well to their new home. Research will focus on the prey selection, habitat selection and feeding patterns of the cheetah, as well as the change in vigilance and behaviour in antelope species.
The introduction of these large cats is an important step in restoring the predator-prey balance as well as enriching the biodiversity of the Park.
Mountain Zebra National Park, located near Cradock in the Eastern Cape, is 28 412 hectares in size.
