ADOPT A CHEETAH
We are passionate about the conservation of endangered species and have the know-how and facilities to make a difference. However, the financial burden is great. Without support and sponsorship, we would not be able to continue with our work of serving a cause far greater than ourselves.
Help us to help those that cannot help themselves.
There was a time when cheetahs roamed freely and in large numbers in Africa, Asia and the Indian subcontinent. Currently, free-ranging cheetahs are found only in a few conservation areas and as small, non-sustainable populations in Eastern and Southern Africa. In Asia a single, highly endangered cheetah population remains in northern Iran, while in India, where they have been hunted and exploited to extinction.
Today, only about 7 500 cheetahs remain worldwide and they have disappeared from much of their former formal range. Some 7 000 cheetahs are left in Africa of which 1 200 occur in South Africa. Around 300 to 450 are free-ranging in the wild with the rest in fenced reserves and in captivity. Cheetahs are now categorised as vulnerable and decreasing on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) 2020 Red Data List of Mammals.
We believe in the conservation of endangered species and for this reason breed cheetahs, release captive-bred cheetahs into the wild and provide new blood lines to captive cheetah breeding facilities nationally and internationally.
By adopting one of our cheetahs, you have the opportunity of contributing to the conservation and maintenance of the species. Adopt a cheetah either for yourself, or as a gift to someone else.
PLEASE TAKE NOTE: Adoptions are valid for a period of one year (twelve calendar months). Thereafter, the adoption may be renewed for a further period.
when you adopt a cheetah:
- You can choose a name for your adopted cheetah
- You will receive a personalised adoption certificate;
- You will receive regular feedback on health and well-being of your adopted cheetah
- A plaque acknowledging your adoption will be placed on the gate of your cheetah’s enclosure
YOUR FUNDS WILL BE USED FOR:
- Meat and a vitamin/mineral supplement
- Annual vaccinations
- Veterinary care as needed
- Maintenance of the enclosure
- Financial support of HESC’s ongoing research into the nutritional requirements and management of cheetahs in captivity;
- Support for a local community educational programme on conservation
THE COST TO ADOPT A CHEETAH R28 000.00
FOSTERING
Not everyone has the privilege of raising an endangered animal, but by fostering one of the animals in our care, you have the opportunity of contributing towards their rehabilitation and wellbeing. At present our animals include blue crane, caracal, duiker, southern ground hornbill, leopard tortoise, leopard, lion, white rhino and sable antelope.
These animals are not bred at HESC but come to us in need of rehabilitation and a place of safety. Many, particularly rhinos, are victims of poaching and others arrive after being confiscated by environmental conservation authorities or animal welfare organisations when found in undesirable or unlawful conditions and locations.
PLEASE TAKE NOTE: The fostering of an animal is valid for a period of one year (twelve calendar months). Thereafter, the fostering may be renewed for a further period.
LEOPARD TORTOISE
R500
Slow and quiet with a most attractive, high-domed shell.
SERVAL
R1 000
Most striking with its spotted and striped coat, large ears and long legs.
SABLE ANTELOPE
R1 000
Handsome and strikingly regal with impressive scimitar-shaped horns.
SOUTHERN GROUND HORNBILL R1 000
Impressive to spot in the wild or at HESC.
AFRICAN LION
R12 000
Our two, Scar and Mufaso, are majestic and magnificent.
WHITE RHINO
R12 000
Prehistoric looking beauties, but gentle giants in need of protection.
when you FOSTER AN ANIMAL:
- You receive a certificate acknowledging your sponsorship, together with a photograph of the animal
- Regular updates about the health and well-being of your animal
YOUR FUNDS WILL BE USED FOR:
- Food
- Veterinary expenses, including rehabilitation if needed
- Maintenance of the animal’s enclosure
- Security / protection
- Relocation and transportation
- Support for a local community educational programme focusing on conservation
I want TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE!
MAKE A DONATION
If you prefer to make a donation rather than adopt or foster an animal, your support would still be greatly appreciated. No amount is too small or too insignificant to contribute to the task that we have set ourselves. Donations in kind are equally welcome. Our wish list below gives an idea of what we need.
ANIMAL INTERACTION POLICY
HESC maintains a strict policy of no contact or interaction with animals kept on the property. Our policy is aligned with international trends based on animal ethics and welfare and is aimed at ensuring the safety and health of both animals and visitors. Our policy further endorses the right of animals to live a life without fear, which is often the consequence of close contact with humans with whom they are not acquainted. We avoid human-imprinting, whereby the animals will identify more with humans than with their own species and cause them to become problem animals once released.