Adotta un ghepardo: il mese dell’adozione è giugno!

Dr. Laurie Marker, Contributor

Founder and Executive Director of Cheetah Conservation Fund

Adopt A Cat Month

06/27/2017 11:43 am ET

Adopt A Cat Month is a yearly observation, during the month of June, started by domestic animal shelters. Coinciding with “kitten season”, from early spring through the summer, this is the time when shelters busy themselves looking for homes for millions of domestic cats. During June, Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) celebrated Adopt A Cat Month by asking for support to keep cheetahs in their wild homes.
Cheetahs are the smallest of the big cats and are a unique and very old species. Around 10 to 12,000 years ago, a climate shift at the end of the last ice age caused a mass extinction of many species and few cheetahs survived leaving them with a very limited gene pool. Today, habitat loss, human/wildlife conflict, and the illegal pet trade have contributed to a further shrinking of the population, with the current cheetahs’ range reduced across eastern and southern Africa with a very small population in Iran. While the domestic cat became more popular and widespread over the past 10,000 years becoming a favored pet around the world, the cheetah has become a threatened species on the brink of extinction.

CHEETAH CONSERVATION FUND

Lighter colors denotes historic range & darker colors denote current range

Cheetahs Don’t Have an Overbreeding Problem.
Adopt A Cat Month messaging usually focuses on the overpopulation of cats, cheetahs don’t share this problem. There are currently less than 8,000 cheetahs remaining in the wild and they are considered extinct in more than 20 of their former range countries. The biggest threats to survival are human/wildlife conflict and loss of habitat. Captive cheetah breeding is not as successful as many large carnivores, leaving the wild population more important for species survival.
Cats of all species from cheetahs to gray tabbies, have a wide range of breeding behaviors. Domestic cats experience estrus on a regular cycle corresponding to day lengthening and warmer weather. In tropical areas where day length doesn’t change very much, female domestic cats will breed year-round. Cheetahs in captivity on the other hand have very unpredictable breeding cycles that correspond to environmental stimulus on an individual basis. Knowing when a female cheetah is ready to mate involves lots of behavioral observation, fecal testing, and patience.
The Cheetahs in Your Neighborhood
Domestic cats have a reputation for killing birds and small mammals when they live partially or fully outside. As a result the reaction to outdoor cats can be very negative; they can be thought of as pests, killing song birds and small mammals, and as a result are poisoned or trapped. Like feral domestic cats, cheetahs and other predators have also been viewed as vermin; they were thought to threaten livestock and livelihoods.
When I started CCF in 1990, Namibian farmers were killing cheetahs by the hundreds per year. People did not know how to live alongside predators and they didn’t really understand the value of predators within the landscape. Among the many successful educational outreach programs we offer at CCF, like farmer education and livelihood training, the resident and ambassador cheetahs at our Education and Research Centre in Namibia have helped educate people about how to live with cheetahs on their lands.

DR. LAURIE MARKER

Chewbaaka as a cub

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One of our first orphaned cheetahs to fill the role of ambassador was Chewbaaka, a 10-day old cub which was rescued in July 1995. He required round-the-clock care as he needed to be bottle fed him. Throughout his infancy, he formed a close bond with me. Releasing him back into the wild was not an option as he did not have an aversion to people, one of the many key factors for successfully releasing a cheetah.
Chewbaaka became an important part of CCF’s educational outreach programs. He met local farmers and school learners, politicians and celebrities, and he was photographed and filmed for multiple documentaries, allowing people from all over the world to see his speed and grace. He helped many people form an emotional bond and connection to the cheetah.
CCF has since had many orphan cubs. Although Chewbaaka passed away in 2011 at 16 years of age, every July we celebrate him through Chewbaaka’s Wild Cheetah Challenge, a matching campaign to help in our efforts to secure a future for the cheetahs though our education, ecology, biology, and conservation programs.
The Future for the Cheetah
CCF’s work has been focused on creating a stronghold for cheetahs in Namibia and other countries where the wild population is still viable. Helping cheetahs in their current range to survive, has made it possible to stabilize the population in regional pockets. By connecting current rangeland and encouraging population flow we can slowly bring cheetahs back into their former range.
Our efforts toward education, proving the value of predators in the ecosystem, has turned the tide of popular opinion in Namibia; the nation is now known as “The Cheetah Capital of the World”. It is my hope that the cheetah will once again range freely across Africa. That is the goal we work towards every day, and it’s a goal that you can help make a reality. Adopt A Cat Month is now ending, but your support is still needed. Help us by symbolically sponsoring one of the remaining 8,000 wild cheetahs. Beginning July 1st donations will be doubled up to $225,000 as we celebrate Chewbaaka’s Wild Cheetah Challenge.

Ecco Günther che lo porta in viaggio…

Il cucciolo in gabbia, pronto per il trasferimento…

Trasferito il cucciolo scampato al commercio!

Questa mattina, grazie all’approvazione ed al valido sostegno delle autorità somale, il nostro unico cucciolo è stato messo al sicuro in una riserva.  Mentre pare in ottima forma, siamo certi che ora avrà le cure necessarie veterinarie di cui ha bisogno. Siamo grati a tutti coloro che hanno reso possibile il trasferimento. 

This morning, with the approval and valuable support of the Somaliland authorities, our last remaining cub was delivered to the safety of a sanctuary. While the cub continues to appear to be in good health, we are pleased to know that from now on he is in a place where he can get all the necessary care. We are infinitely grateful to everyone who contributed to making the cub’s transfer possible.  IMG-20170616-WA0003.jpg

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I cuccioli in Somalia

Despite best efforts of our Somaliland caregivers, two more cubs have succumbed to what we suspect is a virus or contagious disease. Unfortunately, there are no veterinarians or testing facilities in Somaliland versed in cheetah diseases to help us identify the source. The remaining cub, the biggest and strongest at about 7 kg, shows no signs of illness yet he is not out of the woods, as he could quickly take a turn for the worse and suffer the same fate. We continue to closely monitor his progress. At the same time, we will continue to seek approval for a transfer to a sanctuary where qualified veterinarians and laboratories are available. @ifaw.na @CCFcheetah

Incontro a Perugia il 2 luglio prossimo per la conservazione

Cari Amici dei Ghepardi,

Una triste notizia dalla Somalia

Una triste notizia a cui non c’è molto da aggiungere ci arriva da Patricia Tricorache e dalla Somalia. Ieri uno dei 4 cuccioli confiscati è purtroppo morto, dopo che è stato curato e idratato con abnegazione dalle persone che lo hanno in cura sul posto. Purtroppo nonostante antibiotici e idratazione, dai primi sintomi di diarrea cui aveva fatto seguito un miglioramento apparente  il cucciolo non c’è l’ha fatta. siamo costernati. Motivo in più per premere affinché si comprenda la fragilità di questi rari animali che devono vivere liberi, e cresciuti dalla madre. 

Ecco il testo originale di Patricia:

We are sorry to inform you that one of our rescued cubs passed away last night. She had started to show issues such as loose stool and lethargy two days ago. The team in Somaliland immediately began making sure that she was hydrated and applied antibiotics to fight any potential infection. She showed great improvement in the morning, only to become sicker later in the day. 
This is yet one more instance that confirms how fragile cheetah cubs are and why they should not be removed from their mothers. We are keeping a vigilant watch on the other three cubs and thank the team in Hargeisa for the long, sleepless hours while looking after these cubs. @ifaw.na @ccfcheetah

#petcheetah #keepCheetahsWild

We wish Raffaella all the best!

Auguri alla Socia Raffaella Giavazzi che ci manda questo suo angolo d’Africa e di CCF ….!