Cheetah Conservation Fund

Category: Cheetah - Research | Date: Sep 29 2007 | By: admin

This month we announced the first ever in vitro cheetah embryos that have developed to the blastocyst stage. The embryos have been produced at the Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) in collaboration with the Smithsonian Institution and the University of California, Davis, USA.

The oocytes (eggs) were recovered from some of CCF’s captive cheetahs, and inseminated with sperm in vitro (in the lab). During this procedure new culture systems were implemented to optimize embryo development. Embryos were assessed and the first ever cheetah embryos to reach the blastocyst stage was frozen for storage in the Cheetah Conservation Fund’s Genome Resource Bank, a reservoir of frozen genetic and biological materials. The oocytes (eggs) used to produce these historical embryos were collected from Nestlé and Hershey –two of CCF’s resident non-releasable cheetahs, of which four blastocysts were frozen. What makes this even more exciting is that the sperm used were collected over a year ago from a CCF’s resident male, Cruise, and had been frozen and stored in the Genome Resource Bank. This proves that the techniques researched at CCF to freeze and thaw cheetah sperm are viable.

Last year another major breakthrough was made when the timing of aspiration (collection) of oocytes was established at 28 to 30 hours post hormone treatment. Building on what was discovered last year, scientists were able to take this research to the next level with the help of the captive cheetahs living at CCF, as a large enough sample size was needed in order to test different incubation conditions needed by embryos to develop successfully. All these methods have been established using domestic cats as models, but need to be adapted for each wild carnivore species.

While in vitro fertilisation is relatively routine in many other species, including humans, carnivores have proven to be a challenge when it comes to assisted reproduction and pioneering methodologies need to be developed. In order to successfully grow cheetah embryos in vitro, the correct temperature, CO2 and growth mediums needed to be established that are very specific to cheetah embryos.

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Category: Cheetah - Conservation Programmes | Date: Sep 23 2007 | By: admin

On 18 September a new litter of Anatolian guarding dogs were born here at CCF. One our top guarding dogs, Tylee, gave birth to nine puppies that morning. Sadly one didn’t make it leaving us with five males and three females. This is the third litter for Tylee as she continues to pass on her remarkable guarding dog genes. Her daughter Uschi is expecting her second litter due at the end of the month. Both litters are fathered by Amos, our breeding male. These dogs will be placed with farmers around Namibia that have applied for a dog to help protect their small stock herds. At 8 weeks of age farmers will visit CCF to pick up their dog and receive training. The livestock guarding dog program started in 1994 to as a conservation tool, helping farmers to live with cheetahs and other large predators. Since 1994 we have placed over 250 dogs around Namibia. We continue to visit farms to check up on dogs placed and maintain the studbook for all dogs born here.

Technorati : anatolian shepherd, cheetah, kangal, livestock management

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Category: Cheetah - Research | Date: Sep 23 2007 | By: admin

Part of our research includes estimating populations which is an important part of the conservation of an endangered species. A new population estimate is needed for Namibia and other range countries through a cost effective, repeatable and consistent method. The three methods being used here at CCF are spoor tracking, radio telemetry, and camera trapping. Spoor tracking data is collected weekly and consists of types of species, associated sample area, spoor direction and count of spoor. The species we are tracking include cheetah, leopard, and brown hyena.

Over the last couple weeks we have collared 3 wild cheetahs from different range areas on our farms and are currently collecting data on their movements. This is CCF’s first time using GMS collars and will allow for a much more detailed data collection. All three are cheetahs that we have seen on this year’s camera census. One is a tailless male that we have seen in the previous year’s census, and he appears to be doing quite well despite the lack of a tail. We have 19 camera stations set up throughout our farms and in the month of July took 1400 photos, 92 of which were cheetahs. We are now in progress of identifying individuals from spot patterns and believe to have 8 cheetahs identified. Other than cheetahs we have seen brown hyena and leopard which we’ve also found through our spoor tracking. Both the spoor tracking and camera traps will continue through October.

Today we were surprised to see a Leopard in one of the cage traps. He was a large male weighing in at 71kg! This was some unexpected excitement as we drove up to the check the trap. Our team did a medical workup in the field in order to collect biological samples and take measurements. We believe he is a male found on the cameras from the neighbouring farm. This gave us a great opportunity to learn more about the other predators on our farms. With one collar left we await the final cheetah and so check the cages throughout the day.

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Category: Background | Date: Sep 19 2007 | By: admin

The cheetahs’ survival depends on people and our ability to manage the wild population and protect its habitat.

When people destroy habitat by constructing buildings or over-grazing livestock, for example, they prevent nearly all animal populations from surviving there, both in the present, as well as the future. Animals compete poorly with humans for space. Humans normally change the environment very rapidly; animals cannot always adjust to these changes or adapt quickly enough. Large predators like the cheetah need large areas in which to roam; they usually are not found close together or in great numbers. Loss of habitat and a limited geographical range (a small area in which to live) threaten the cheetah’s survival.

Low survivorship (few cheetahs live long or do not become adults) also affects cheetahs and makes them more vulnerable to human competition. High cub mortality, up to 90% in the wild, along with high adult mortality by indiscriminate killing by farmers, makes it difficult for the cheetah to recover when its population size decreases.

Helping predator species survive in spite of competition from people is one aspect of wildlife conservation. Loss of habitat and prey base, competition with large predators and agricultural interests, and poaching are taking a heavy toll on wild cheetah populations throughout Africa.

Today, there are fewer than 15,000 of these endangered cats remaining in Africa and Asia. The vast majority of cheetahs live in small, isolated groups outside protected game reserves where they are often in conflict with humans and livestock, and most populations continue to decline. The largest wild population of cheetahs is found in Namibia. In the 1980s their numbers were reduced by half to less than 2500. Lack of genetic variation, reproduction abnormalities, high infant mortality, and a great susceptibility to disease place the species at a further risk of extinction. Genetic variation allows species to adapt better to environmental and ecological changes and to fight off diseases.

While cheetahs were once found all over Africa, they are now endangered in most of their former ranges. Cheetahs do not pose a threat to human life. People continue to kill cheetahs because they believe cheetahs kill livestock as well as other domestic animals, causing excessive economic loss. In reality, the amount of damage to domestic stock is exaggerated and is usually caused by a limited number of livestock-preying cats, or “conflict” animals, and inadequate livestock practices. Despite these problems, cheetahs do have a chance for survival on the vast farmlands of southern Africa.

Humans share this earth with up to 33 million animals, plants and other life forms. The diversity of life on our planet is amazing. All species - plants, mammals, insects, and invertebrates - depend on one another. People depend on many different plants and animals for food and medicines. Cheetahs are only one of 33 million species living on the planet. Does it really matter if the cheetah becomes extinct? It is tempting to think that the loss of only one species will not affect us. But we must remember that all things are connected and explore how important cheetahs are in their ecosystem. When we lose even one species, our world becomes a poorer place to live. The cheetah deserves a place on this earth. The cat has been revered by humans for almost 5,000 years. If it is lost to future generations, it would leave a large hole not only in nature, but also in the very psyche of the human mind, which so naturally feels and knows the uniqueness of this creature. Namibia, with its varied ecosystems and diversity of life, presents the greatest hope for the cheetah’s future.

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