Submitted by: Mark Bottell

Now you can learn about cheetahs and help their conservation by volunteering your time at the Hoedspruit Cheetah Project in South Africa. The Hoedspruit Cheetah Project is part of an education facility, breeding centre and hospital for the rehabilitation of animals that have been orphaned or injured.

A hundred years ago, you could find cheetahs running wild across the majority of Africa and areas of Asia. Now their numbers have dwindled and are confined mostly to protected areas. The wild population has reduced by half since the 1970s, which has made them vulnerable to extinction, so the rehabilitation of these animals and the rejuvenation of their numbers has become critical.

This is where the Hoedspruit Cheetah Project, based at the Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre in South Africa, comes in. Their efforts include campaigning for the security of the cheetah territory, the breeding and rearing of cheetahs in captivity, and the education of the local communities and the conservation volunteers who visit the projects. Conservation volunteering at Hoedspruit is an active and rewarding pursuit that brings you into close contact with cheetahs, their cubs and a number of other animals in rehabilitation or breeding projects.

Part of the Hoedspruit Cheetah Project’s mission is to teach about how man has affected the cheetah’s natural habitat. This means visiting schools and encouraging the pupils to understand the problem. Life is difficult for the cheetah in the competitive environment of the wild. They have to contend with predators such as lions, leopards and hyenas, as well as the threat of rival cheetahs roaming into their territory. Cheetahs must endure the ongoing struggle of hunting for food while protecting vulnerable cubs and the species must also face the narrowing of their territory by human influence.

Cheetahs need wide areas of land to hunt their prey; they prefer flat land where they can take advantage of their immense speed. The availability of such open space has reduced because of the spread of people and farm land, and the cheetahs are sometimes considered as pests by ranchers who want to protect their farm animals from predators.

In South Africa, when cheetahs are found injured or orphaned either from an encounter with lions or with man, they are brought to the Hoedspruit Cheetah Project. This is a place where students on conservation volunteering courses can witness and assist in an animal’s rehabilitation, helping to bring animals back to their full strength and confidence before their careful reintroduction into the wild.

A similar process takes place with cheetahs and other animals that are bred at the centre. The Hoedspruit Cheetah Project makes it their task to maintain healthy cheetah populations in the wild by crossbreeding from different territories to ensure a healthy genetic mix.

Animal rehabilitation and rearing is a slow, gradual process that requires care and attention. Those volunteering help the conservation of the cheetahs by taking part in their daily care and the upkeep of their enclosures at the centre. This involves feeding the animals, holding them, assisting the vet with procedures, and even capturing animals in the park. It is an enjoyable and hands-on experience where learning and participation are central. If you want to get close to these beautiful and vulnerable animals, find out more about Hoedspruit and conservation volunteering.

About the Author: Mark Bottell is the General Manager for Worldwide Experience, an online tour operator offering extended breaks upon which you can participate in

animal rehabilitation

, and other conservation volunteering gap years for grown-ups.

Source:

isnare.com

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