On 27 October, curator Christo Scheibers arranged for the transfer of a female cheetah from the Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre (HESC) to Hluhluwe, KwaZulu-Natal. The cheetah was taken to the Thanda Game Reserve the following morning, where she was released into boma.
This female was one of five cheetahs that were moved from the Mountain Zebra National Park on 16 April 2011. She was brought to HESC with her mother and two siblings – a male and female. This female cheetah was quarantined at Hluhluwe to allow her to acclimatise to her new home. There is a distinct difference in climate between the Lowveld, where HESC is situated, and the Highveld climate of Hluhluwe. Living in a secured boma for the last few months ensured that she would ease into her new surroundings and get used to the new sounds and smells, before being released into the wild. The 3 year old cheetah was successfully released onto the greater part of the reserve on 28 January 2013. She was fitted with a GSM collar before her release, to ensure that she can be monitored on a daily basis.
Mrs Lente Roode: “I feel privileged that HESC could play a role in the release. The management of the wild population of cheetahs is a cause that is very dear to my heart. Humans must protect the genetic pool and therefore HESC strives to ensure the preservation of the species.”