Namibia is known to support the world’s largest free-ranging cheetah population.  The matrix farmland supports diverse land uses, of which livestock and game farming are the most prominent types.

Namibia has significant amounts of biodiversity, endemism and scenic landscapes, which are universally recognized.  Over the past century, most of the savannah habitat has been altered due to farming and climate change, and has resulted in bush encroachment – a phenomenon described as the thickening and increase in the density of native trees/shrubs.

Cheetahs are adapted to hunt by making use of speed, with records showing 110km/hour. Hunting at such speed through thickened bush is nearly impossible due to energy expenditure and ease of movement.  In addition, cheetahs can sustain injuries as a result of bush encroachment.  Large grazers also suffer in these areas because of the lack of adequate forage.

The BushBlok team displays the completed product.

In order to address this problem, CCF has embarked on a habitat restoration project aimed at thinning encroached areas for the benefit of cheetahs and other biodiversity candidates.

In heavily encroached regions, CCF harvests Acacia biomass that dries in the sun and is eventually turned into wood chips.  These raw chips are transported to a factory in Otjiwarongo (city ~40km from CCF Namibia) where they are put into a hammer mill to form a fuel log.

The manufactured product, known as Bushblok® is widely known as a wood briquette on the international market.  The mission of Bushblok® is to enhance the long-term survival of the cheetah and other key Namibian wildlife by developing a habitat improvement program that is ecologically sound and economically viable.  The program also contributes important jobs to the local economy.

Cheetah Conservation Fund Canada is providing funding for this initiative through its Canada Project, and we urge Canadians to support this innovative program through donations.

The post Climate Change and the Cheetah appeared first on Cheetah Conservation Fund Canada.

One of the Kangal / Anatolian Shepherd dogs in the Guarding Dog Program

One of the Cheetah Conservation Fund’s most successful programs to help save the wild cheetah is the Kangal/Anatolian Shepherd Livestock Guarding Dog Program.

These special dogs, raised and bred at CCF Namibia headquarters, are given free or for a nominal fee to Namibian farmers.  The dogs bond with the herds and bark loudly whenever they see a cheetah or another predator. Predators are scared away and, as a result, farmers no longer need to kill cheetahs to protect their livestock and their livelihood.

It’s a very successful program – most farmers report dramatic reductions in the loss of livestock. Farmers are then much more likely to implement better livestock management techniques, and feel more encouraged to co-exist with cheetahs rather than trying to remove them from the farmland.

In any given year, Cheetah Conservation Fund relocates 20 to 30 dogs with farmers, and since 1994,  has placed close to 500 livestock guarding dogs.  CCF Namibia continues to work hard to ensure the dogs have the necessary training and medical care and that their working  relationship with the farmers is a good one. Farmers are very enthusiastic about the program and there is now a two-year waiting list for puppies.

On the job with a herd of goats.

It costs about $500 Canadian dollars per year to care for each dog. This program is a key part of The Canada Project and Cheetah Conservation Fund Canada is proud that Canadians across the country are helping support this very important effort.

Won’t you lend your support to one of the cheetah’s best friends?

The post Guarding Dog: Cheetah’s Best Friend? appeared first on Cheetah Conservation Fund Canada.

Azan and Nicola with their cheetah display
at the school science fair
March 28, 2014

This year, the two boys chose to partner up and participate in the school’s science fair.  The topic of choice was one of their favorite wild animals – the cheetah.

Ask either of these boys what it is that they love about cheetahs, and their first response is almost always “because it’s the fastest animal on land.“

They thought they already knew a lot about cheetahs, however it turned out that there was still much to learn. While researching “Amazing Cheetah Facts” for their project, one finding that struck them was that cheetahs are endangered animals, with only a little over 10,000 cheetahs remaining.

It became very important to them to share why it is that cheetahs have become endangered, and how people are working to help protect cheetahs from extinction.

On March 28th 2014, while they proudly displayed their science fair project, they not only shared facts about the cheetah, but spoke about how the cheetahs need protection, why there are so few left, and what it is that Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) does to help protect cheetahs.

Awesome Lab Coats

They explained how “cheetahs get blamed for killing farm animals because they don’t hunt at night like other wild cats; they hunt in the day. So when farmers find their animals dead, they see cheetahs and think it was the cheetah’s fault and sometimes shoot them. The CCF teaches farmers how to know which predator attacked their animals, and they also train dogs to protect their animals”.

Rainbow
Photo Credit: Eli Walker

They also shared how the CCF takes cares of cheetah cubs that have no mother and told the story of Rainbow, a cheetah they helped sponsor through the   Sponsor a Cheetah Project.

At the young age of 6, it has been difficult for them to describe the complex work done by CCF, but I think that every little effort counts. If their eagerness to learn more about protecting wild animals has spread to other students, then they have done their small but successful part in raising awareness.

Both boys have expressed how they hope cheetahs will still be around when they are adults so their children can see how “cool this wild cat is“.  They have proven that it is never too late or, in this case, never too early to raise awareness about the dangers faced by some of the earth’s most beautiful creatures.

Written by guest blogger and proud Mom:  Assunta I.

The post Never Too Young to Raise Awareness appeared first on Cheetah Conservation Fund Canada.

Question 7:

With all your experience, how best do you think you we can ensure we have good stewardship for the planet once the older generations pass on?

Laurie:  I think we need to push government and push business to focus on this – and the people to do it are us, and our young people.

Young Namibian students learning about     cheetahs onsite at CCF

But we don’t enough time.   And I hate to be the one to say that, but after being in this business for 25 years hoping to save the cheetah, I think that we have only a few years to save the world.

We need to work rapidly, and I’m  not entirely sure how to do that but  I know that we need lots of people to speaking this language.

The cheetah is not the only animal in this grave danger.  I think it is leading the way as the fastest land animal and one of the most vulnerable species on earth.

We have to come to terms with the fact that we are losing this, and unless we dramatically and quickly change the direction, we will not win.

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*Please note that we have edited Laurie’s and Bruce’s answers slightly for presentation here.

The post What Does the Future Hold for Cheetahs? appeared first on Cheetah Conservation Fund Canada.

Question 6:

Farmers in Canada have issues with wolves and coyotes attacking their  livestock  — what insights and practices from CCF’s work would help them?

Laurie:  Well, globally I think that humans can live with predators through good livestock practices.  I would go so far as to say that consumers are buying meat tainted with the blood of every predator that there is in the world.

The Livestock Guarding Dog Program is one that could be mimicked in Canada to reduce predation of livestock.

We’ve done at lot of work looking at wildlife-friendly and predator friendly livestock management.

I think we need to develop a market-based approach so that farmers are using appropriate management systems and are not “feeding” their non-managed livestock to predators while blaming the predators.

Our findings are that the farmers are actually the biggest problem and not the predators.  But we still have a lot of work to do there.

I would also put a push on government and business to bring in subsidies – or what we would call a price premium – to promote better livestock management so that they are farming in an ecofriendly way where the human/wildlife conflict is reduced.

And I really think that business and consumers are the ones that need to push this issue by being brought into this equation.

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*Please note that we have edited Laurie’s and Bruce’s answers slightly for presentation here.

The post Reducing Predation of Livestock in Canada appeared first on Cheetah Conservation Fund Canada.

Question 5:

We know you are also working with other countries in Southern Africa to help save the cheetah.  Can you give us some examples?

Laurie:  This is really important too.  The ultimate vision is to ensure that we – humans and cheetahs – can live together.  As humans, we have the knowledge of how to do this, but we need to ensure this knowledge is understood by the general public.

We work wherever there are cheetahs: we have developed cheetah conservation programs in Kenya, sent livestock guarding dogs into Tanzania, and Botswana is a complete model of what we’ve done here in Namibia.

Dr. Marker providing training to Iranian biologists

On a broader scale, over a three year period, we brought 300 biologists to Namibia, in smaller groups of 15-20 at a time, for month long training programs to transfer our knowledge to them so that they can develop programs in their own areas.

Unfortunately, many of the conflict areas in Africa are also places where there is a lot of human to human conflict as well.

We’re trying to support the people there by influencing governments and get political support on a broader scale to try to eliminate wars in the first place.

Dr. Marker converses with the International Conservation Caucus on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on October 4, 2012

Niger would be an example of this.  We work with governments – the American government in particular – but we have also discussed the issues with the Canadian government while in Ottawa in 2012, and we recently hosted a delegation from the EU.

Namibia has been a model for cheetahs and Africa, and the learning from our work is being applied in Iran, India and Uzbekistan as well where they are trying to reintroduce cheetahs.

In the UAE, where illegal trade is the biggest issue, cheetahs are kept as pets.  Our efforts there are to try to improve health care for the cheetahs and to build up a sperm-bank so that the demand for pets isn’t draining the wild population.

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*Please note that we have edited Laurie’s and Bruce’s answers slightly for presentation here.

The post Sharing Knowledge Around the World appeared first on Cheetah Conservation Fund Canada.

Question 4:

Sadly, we only have cheetahs in Canada in zoos or safari park settings.  What’s the most compelling story for Canadians to help them understand why saving the cheetah is so important?

Laurie:  As I often say, “Save the cheetah, change the world.”  Saving the cheetah protects the entire framework of Africa.  Africa is a continent with a lot of poverty but one that also has a lot of resources.

Bringing those resources to economic benefit for the communities has to happen.  And if we don’t get it to happen, we won’t have the cheetah any longer because they are at the bottom of the pyramid.

Dr. Marker at the Waterberg Conservancy, Namibia.

Canada plays a key role.  A lot of business sectors are working in Africa, and a lot of those companies are looking at the social aspects and impacts of the work that they are doing here.  Mining is a good example – we work closely with some of the mining companies to try to look at the economic values of biodiversity and where the cheetah fits in.  Cheetahs need huge landscapes to survive – not a 5,000 hectare farm but an area five times that size, a range of 100,000 hectares.

So we need to look at diversification and ways in which we can reduce poverty, improve education, and grow tourism through wildlife. Today there are huge issues – as you know – in poaching and illegal trade, and the cheetah is at the bottom of the pyramid and is extremely vulnerable.  If we don’t get the other aspects correct, there will be no cheetahs in the future.

Farmers in Canada have similar issues with wolves and coyote as they attack their livestock.  Similar education programs that CCF has managed over the years could be replicated in Canada as a way to reduce human/wildlife/predator conflict.  Education is the key.

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* Please note that we have edited Laurie’s and Bruce’s answers slightly for presentation here.

The post How Can Canadians Relate? appeared first on Cheetah Conservation Fund Canada.

UN Secretary-General’s message on World Wildlife Day

Accra, Mar 1, GNA – The United Nations Secretary-General has issued a statement to mark World Wildlife Day, which falls on Monday, March 3.

Ghana News Agency reproduces the full version of the statement below:

“For millennia, people and cultures have relied on nature’s rich diversity of wild plants and animals for food, clothing, medicine and spiritual sustenance.

Wildlife remains integral to our future through its essential role in science, technology and recreation, as well as its place in our continued heritage.

That is why the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed March 3 – the anniversary of the adoption of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) – as World Wildlife Day.

Despite its intrinsic value to sustainable development and human well-being, wildlife is under threat.

Some of the world’s most charismatic species, as well as lesser-known but ecologically important plants and animals, are in immediate danger of extinction.

A major cause is habitat loss. Another is the increase in illicit trafficking.

The environmental, economic and social consequences of wildlife crime are profound. Of particular concern are the implications of illicit trafficking for peace and security in a number of countries where organized crime, insurgency and terrorism are often closely linked.

While the threats to wildlife are great, we can reduce them through our collective efforts. On this inaugural World Wildlife Day, I urge all sectors of society to end illegal wildlife trafficking and commit to trading and using wild plants and animals sustainably and equitably.

Let us work for a future where people and wildlife coexist in harmony. Let’s go wild for wildlife!”

More information:

http://wildlifeday.org/content/UN_SG_Message

http://www.wildlifeday.org/content/world-wildlife-day-3-march

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Wildlife_Day

* * * * * * * * *

And let’s go wild for cheetahs in particular!

There are many ways to help.

The post World Wildlife Day – March 3, 2014 appeared first on Cheetah Conservation Fund Canada.

Annual General Meeting, January 18, 2014  (via teleconference)

Dr. Laurie Marker:

It is a pleasure to be with all of you on the call tonight.  It is presently 7:15 pm here on a Saturday night, and we have thunder and lightning in the background with the potential of a storm.  Heavy rains at Christmas, after a two year drought, means that we finally have water in our dams and a decreased chance that this storm will have the same impact as a similar storm in October that burned down our Visitor Centre through a lightning strike. I enjoyed meeting everyone on the Board in Toronto last October, and look forward to returning to Canada again this year.

Question 1:
I read that CCF’s Visitor Centre recently burned down.  Can you tell us about any plans to rebuild?  ANSWER

Question 2:
How many cheetahs are under your care at the moment and how many will you be able to release in the future? ANSWER

Question 3:
How are the local communities around Otjiwarongo benefiting from all the work that you are doing on the ground in Namibia?  ANSWER

Question 4:
Sadly, we only have cheetahs in Canada in zoos or safari park settings.  What’s the most compelling story for Canadians to help them understand why saving the cheetah is so important?  ANSWER

Question 5:
We know you are also working with other countries in Southern Africa to help save the cheetah.  Can you give us some examples?  ANSWER

Question 6:
Farmers in Canada have issues with wolves and coyotes attacking their livestock – what insights and practices from CCF’s work would help them?  ANSWER

Question 7:
With all your experience, how best do you think you we can ensure we have good stewardship for the planet once the older generations pass on?  ANSWER

*Please note that we have edited Laurie’s and Bruce’s answers slightly for presentation here.

The post Cheetah Conservation Fund Canada – AGM Q&A Session appeared first on Cheetah Conservation Fund Canada.

Question 3:

How are the local communities around Otjiwarongo benefiting from all the work that you are doing on the ground in Namibia?

Laurie:

To give you a sense of the massive scope we’re involved with…we are attempting to protect and further develop 4 million acres in and around the Greater Waterberg landscape. Closer to home, there are 25,000 rural community members impacted, several conservancies that we’ve helped develop, and we are part of 8 interconnecting ranches, each with 200,000 acres, that we work most closely with.

In these areas, we trying to help the locals improve their livestock management practices and to better oversee their land. We’re in and out of these areas often; in fact, on Monday, our Senior Ecologist and a community representative will be back in the area again, revisiting the plans we made a year ago. We are also working with the Ministry of Environment to change the ‘livestock and poverty’ reality into an integrated system of livestock and rangeland management. We’re also working to develop a pair-a-vet program for ongoing interactions between vet and farmer on a monthly basis.

Dr. Marker teaching proper identification of predator kills to farmers

In terms of ecotourism, at Christmas we just developed an organization called the Waterberg Okakarara Tourism Club, and we’re mapping out areas that have tourism potential , such as areas with historical value, and we plan to develop a tourism map.

The landscape here is changing due to environmental factors as well as overgrazing. Thickened thorn bush now covers the land, and we’re working with teams to harvest the thorn bush and develop it into BushBlok compressed fuel logs.

We want to get more locals involved by increasing the number of small scale businesses involved in harvesting the thorn bush. A significant opportunity that is being investigated now is the possibility of developing a bio-mass electricity plant in the communal rural area.

On a broader scale, the use of the livestock guarding dog program has grown to where we now have 150-200 dogs working on livestock farms throughout Namibia in both communal and commercial areas.

Anatolian and Kengal shepherd dogs tend to a herd of goats.

When we place a dog in a communal area, we go back to that community often to help raise the dogs, place the dogs, and educate the farmers.

We visit the farmer and dog five times per year for the first couple of years, and then annually after that. The goal of the program, as you know, is to improve livestock management practices, and to reduce the loss of livestock to predators.

Bruce: In addition, the basic nuts and bolts of the economic impact generated by CCF on livelihoods and development cannot be overlooked. CCF pays over 70 salaries to local Namibians, and the economic impact assessment is tallied at $28 Million USD into the local economy annually (or $280 Million Namibian Dollars). CCF is considered a mid-sized employer in Namibia.

As Laurie mentioned, we are intricately involved in trying to establish more businesses in Waterberg area. One of the most promising is the potential development of a bio-mass power plant which would become a major employer should it be developed.

*Please note that we have edited Laurie’s and Bruce’s answers slightly for presentation here.

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