Yesterday, Hendrick and Krest decided to have coffee at Diep Dam with our guests, but then unexpectedly picked up fresh cheetah tracks. After a bit of tracking we found the female with her cubs. We saw her earlier in the year and she had started out with 5 cubs at the time. That is a huge lot for one female, what a brave mother. She has 3 healthy active cubs left and they are around a year old now. That’s a very good achievement for this cheetah mum. In nature, survival rates of cheetah cubs can be as low as 20% so she has done an brilliant job.
It was a great sighting and we are so glad she is still around, and that she has managed to get 3 cubs through what must have been an extremely tough year for her.
For me personally, this is the best news that I could have hoped for, as the year comes to an end. It shows us the immense value of our reserve, and what a haven it has become for some of the world’s most iconic, and yet highly endangered animals. We have done our bit here for a lasting legacy, and that is cause for celebration. 🙂
