The AfriCat Foundation
NG Kids pays a visit to the AfriCat Foundation in Namibia, a charity set up to protect our favourite big cats...
It’s a hot, sunny day in the dusty Namibian bush and two cheetahs are taking shade under a tree, trying to escape the heat. In a couple of hours it will be dusk and these pair will be out hunting for their dinner in the cool evening.
NG Kids has come all the way to Namibia to see these amazing animals. They live in a protected reserve created by a conservation group called AfriCat. Looking at these cute cats it's hard to believe they are hunters, but in this harsh African environment that is nature's way, that is how they survive.
Although they have no natural predators, big cats like these are exposed to many dangers in the modern world. Farmers shoot them because they eat their cattle, but it’s not the cat’s fault – they have no choice because their habitat is being swallowed up by farmland.
AfriCat in action
To protect Namibia's big cats, a family of farmers called the Hanssens set up AfriCat in 1993. Since then it has rescued over 1,000 cheetahs, leopards and lions that were injured, orphaned or even abandoned by people who kept them as pets.
Most of the cats AfriCat rescue are released back into the wild, but some of them can’t survive on their own so they’re cared for by staff at the foundation. They have plenty of room to live, are fed a healthy diet and some of them, like the leopard pictured below, have become a symbol of the foundation.
“He’s called Wahoo,” says Armin Fandenberg, a guide at AfriCat. “I think he’s the most photographed leopard in the world.”
Cool conservation!
School trips often visit the AfriCat Foundation and lucky children are able to watch and learn about cats like Wahoo – don’t you wish you went to school in Namibia?!
By understanding more about these amazing animals, people are more likely to protect them.
“Some of the young people coming here could be the conservationists of tomorrow,” explains AfriCat’s Carla Conradie. “Education is very important.”
A helping hand
AfriCat don’t just teach children about big cats, they educate the farmers responsible for shooting them.
“Shooting a cat won’t stop him losing cattle because when you get rid of one cat, more will come and take its place,” says Armin. “So we teach farmers how to protect their cattle better. We also persuade them that having a cat on their land is an asset.”
AfriCat’s conservation work costs a lot of money, so how do they afford to do it? Well, every year thousands of tourists from around the world pay to visit the reserve, where they get to spend their holiday viewing these fantastic cats that will hopefully, one day be released into the wild. Better start saving that pocket money!
Did you know?
- Cheetahs are faster than a sports car – they can accelerate from 0-60mph in less than three seconds. They also have a top speed of around 75mph – you wouldn’t want to be chased by one of those would you!
- They usually hunt antelope such as springbok, impala and gazelle.
- There are approximately 12,000 cheetahs left in the world. Namibia has the biggest population with about 2,500.
Words and pictures: Gavin Haines