Post on 28-Jun-2020
ViewinwebbrowserPressRelease:HoedspruitEndangeredSpeciesCentrereleasesacheetahinawildernessreserve
DATE:30January2019Forimmediaterelease
HoedspruitEndangeredSpeciesCentrereleasesacheetahinawildernessreserve
TheHoedspruitEndangeredSpeciesCentre(HESC)releasedacaptive-bredfemalecheetahinthePidwaWildernessReserveyesterday,Tuesday29January2019.ThereleaseformspartoftheSouthernAfricancheetahmeta-populationprogrammefacilitatedbytheEndangeredWildlifeTrust(EWT),andentailsselectivelyreleasingcaptive-bredcheetahstoenhancethegeneticdiversityofthelimitednumberoffree-rangingmembersofthespeciesinsouthernAfrica.
HESChasbeenbreedingcheetahssince1990andwasaccreditedbytheConventiononInternationalTradeinEndangeredSpeciesofWildFaunaandFlora(CITES)asabreedingcentreforcheetahsinOctober2003.
WATCHVIDEOOFRELEASE
HESC’sfounderandmanagingdirector,LenteRoode,saysthereleaseofcheetahsintothewildremainstheultimateobjectiveofhercheetahbreedingprogrammeandthereleasetodaywillprovideafreshbloodlinetobroadenthediversityofthegenepoolofthePidwacheetahs.
Asfemalecheetahsaresolitaryanimalsbynature,Roodesaysreleasingasinglecheetahintoanewareaisanormalpracticeandisconsistentwiththewayinwhichtheyliveinthewild.
Thereleasewillbeconductedinthreestageswiththefirststageentailingathree-monthhabituationperiodinapredator-freebomaofonehectare.Duringthistimethecheetahwillbefedimpalacarcasses.
Forthenextstagethecheetahwillbemovedtoa2000hectareareadevoidofcheetahs,hyenasandlions,whereshewillhavetheopportunitytohonehernaturalhuntingskills.Duringthisperiodshewillbemonitoreddailyandprovidedwithmeatshouldshefailtohuntsuccessfully.
LenteRoodeofHESCtogetherwithKatieRooke,ManagerofAskariWildernessProgrammeatPidwaWildlernessReserve
Onlyoncesheprovedherselftobeanindependentandsuccessfulhunter,willshebereleasedintothe17000hectare,big-fivereservetomeetandinteractwiththeotherinhabitantsinthereserve.Monitoringwillcontinuetoensurethatsheadaptstohernewenvironment,andhuntssuccessfully.
Roodesaysthatthenumerousprevioussuccessfulreleasesofcaptive-bredcheetahsintothewildbyHESC,dispelthemyththatcheetahsbornandraisedincaptivitycannotbereleasedandsustainthemselvesinthepresenceofotherpredatorsinthewild.Theirabilitytosurviveinthewildandinthepresenceofotherpredatorsisverymuchanindividualability;somedososuccessfully,othersnot.
AlthoughbornandraisedincaptivityatHESC,anotherbeautifulpredatorisnowbackinthewildwhereitbelongs.ThischeetahwillfromnowongracethePidwaWildernessReservewhereshewasreleasedonTuesday29January2019.
Notetoeditors:
TheHoedspruitEndangeredSpeciesCentre(HESC)isaunique,Africanwildlifefacilitythatfocusesontheconservationandbreedingofrare,vulnerableandthreatenedwildlifespecies.HESCalsoisincreasinglybecomingarefugeforanimalsinjuredandorphanedasaconsequenceofpoachingevents.
ReleasedonbehalfofLenteRoodeFounderandManagingDirectorHoedspruitEndangeredSpeciesCentre(HESC)
ForfurtherinformationcontactLenteRoodeMobile:0824997524–Tel:0124605605Email:lente.roode@cheetahcentre.co.za