A female Cheetah was released at Mabula Private Game Reserve on the 16 December 2013.

Mabula Private Game Reserve had successfully released two male cheetahs on 18 January 2012. These two brothers have been studied extensively in order to determine if they would adapt to their new home and to what extend they are impacting on their prey species.

It was found that the main prey species within their diet were kudu and impala, with impala the more dominant species. These are fortunately two of the more abundant antelope species on the property and their production far outnumbers the amount killed by the cheetahs. The Mabula Management then decided to introduce a female to the property.

It was unexpectedly difficult to source a female for Mabula. Females especially are hard locate due to most reserves introducing male coalitions.

Through our commitment to aiding in cheetah conservation nationally, and by joining hands with the E.W.T. where we earmarked as a priority destination for the first cheetah female that became available. The E.W.T. got word of two 20 month old cheetah sisters in the Southern Cape that were ready for relocation. We were then contacted and jumped at the opportunity to release one of these sisters on Mabula.

After acquiring all the required documentation she was collected and arrived safely at Mabula on 04 November 2013. She was placed in a Boma in order for her to re-orientate herself to her new surroundings. She will remain in this Boma until 16 December 2013 when she was released onto the greater Mabula Private Game Reserve, an area of about 10 000ha.

The long term plan is to allow this female to have young and rear them in the wild. These cubs will then be put up for adoption by other reserves forming part of the South African Cheetah Meta-population Management Program. In doing this we are helping to secure the growth of the cheetah population on privately owned land.

Visit the website at: www.mabula.com

For further information please contact Cindy Sheedy Walker : cindy@extraordinary.co.za