WCN Wildlife Conservation Network | Cheetah Conservation Botswana

Rebecca Klein

When Rebecca Klein moved to Botswana in 2001 to work at the Mokolodi Nature Reserve, she cared for two orphaned cheetah brothers who had lost their mother due to conflict with farmers. Upon discovering that there were no conservation efforts underway to protect Botswana’s cheetahs, Rebecca decided to take action and develop solutions for farmers and cheetahs to coexist.

Threats

Due to conflict with humans, cheetah numbers have plummeted by 90% in the last century. Botswana has one of the last free-ranging cheetah populations in the world, making it an essential stronghold for the future of the species. Unable to compete with healthy populations of more powerful predators in reserves, Botswana’s cheetahs are forced to live closer to villages where human/predator conflict jeopardizes their survival.

Solutions

Cheetah Conservation Botswana (CCB) cultivates a conservation ethic among farmers in Botswana while contributing important scientific data to the international cheetah conservation effort. Demonstrating predator-proof farming techniques in local workshops, live theater and video production, CCB empowers farmers to secure their livelihoods while sharing land with cheetahs. CCB is developing "demonstration farms" that highlight sustainable and innovative techniques.

Rehabilitated Cheetahs to be Returned to the Wild

The two orphaned cheetah cubs being cared for at CCB’s Western Kalahari camp in Ghanzi have been successfully moved to their new home in the Selinda Reserve in Northern Botswana. The two cubs named Tlotlo (Respect) and Kgotso (Peace) came to CCB when they were 6 months old. The cubs had been caught by a community in Southern Botswana and whilst efforts were made to locate their mother, they were not successful. So the brothers moved to the CCB Ghanzi camp in March 2009 More