Further genetic reinforcement of the Bangweulu Wetlands cheetah population

Two more cheetah - a male from Lapalala Private Game Reserve and a female from Purple Rain/Madikwe Conservancy - have been flown to Zambia recently. The male has already been released from his boma onto the “cheetah plains” as he clearly showed the team that he wanted out… and proved it by immediate hunting successes. The female was released shortly after. She spent several months hunting with her mother and two sisters in one of Ashia’s wilding section on Purple Rain, is quite wary of people and needs some more time to settle down.
The reintroduction of cheetah into Zambia began in December 2020 and all parties involved in this massive project knew from the start that establishing a successful founder population in an open system and a region where the species had gone extinct would be an ambitious task but worth the risks. Bangweulu is an absolute paradise for predators with 1000-strong herds of lechwe crossing rivers and populating open plains during the dry season, smaller antelope species hiding in the denser bush areas and tsessebe living on the fringes of the flood plains.
Although we knew that our road would not always be plastered with reward and that we would have to face heart-breaking setbacks, we always sticked to our credo that Conservation in all its forms depends on perseverance and endurance. Perseverance to continue after setbacks, and the endurance to see projects through until the end.
The end has not yet been reached in Bangweulu Wetlands, a vital aquatic and terrestrial ecosystem managed since 2008 by the conservation non-profit African Parks Network. Therefore, in cooperation with African Parks, Ashia is already planning further reintroductions for 2023 and is continuously working on improving after-release monitoring in open systems, identifying the most suitable cheetah habitats within these vast wetlands and building new boma sites closer to such areas.
The translocation initiative arises from a longstanding partnership between Zambia’s Department of National Parks and Wildlife (DNPW), six Community Resource Boards (CRBs) and conservation non-profit African Parks Network. This partnership has worked in conjunction with Ashia Cheetah Conservation funding the cheetah reintroduction program.
Special thanks go to Dr Ean van der Berg, Dr Annemieke Muller and Dr Willem Burger for ensuring a smooth veterinary work during capture and transport to Zambia and to Pambele Aviation for safe flights.
Video credits: Ashia team
AFRICAN PARKS is a non-profit conservation organisation that takes on the complete responsibility for the rehabilitation and long-term management of national parks in partnership with governments and local communities. African Parks currently manage 22 national parks and protected areas in 12 countries covering 20 million hectares in: Angola, Benin, Central African Republic, Chad, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Malawi, Mozambique, the Republic of Congo, Rwanda, South Sudan, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
To learn more visit www.africanparks.org
BANGWEULU WETLANDS - which means ‘where the water meets the sky’- is designated as an Important Bird Area by BirdLife International and as a RAMSAR Wetland of International Importance. Stichting Natura Africae, WWF-The Netherlands and WWF-Zambia have provided key multi-year support for the overall management of Bangweulu Wetlands, helping to build its ecological, economic and social sustainability. Bangweulu Wetlands is a community-owned protected area in north-eastern Zambia. It is one of Africa’s most important wetland systems containing a unique floral and faunal diversity, including the endemic black lechwe and iconic shoebill stork. Built on a system where local people retain rights for sustainable harvesting of natural resources, the wetland is unique in its governance and is a leading example of community-driven conservation. At 6,570 km2, Bangweulu is of suitable size and habitat to support a viable cheetah population. Its connectivity to other protected areas provides the added potential of establishing a healthy metapopulation to promote the long-term persistence of the species in the region.
ASHIA CHEETAH CONSERVATION is a non-profit organisation founded to prevent the further decline of wild cheetah populations and to increase their gene pool. Release, reintroduction and urgent, impromptu cheetah rescue operations take place in coordination with provincial, national and international conservation authorities and organisations.To ensure longevity of this project and in partnerships with relevant scientific bodies, Ashia is initiating, funding and coordinating relevant research projects in order to contribute significantly to the conservation and growth of the cheetah population.Visit www.ashia.co.za to learn more.
For more information visit www.ashia.co.za/
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