Meet AfriCat’s rescued cheetahs

Learn about big cat conservation at the AfriCat Carnivore Care Centre, which is home to rescued cheetahs that unfortunately cannot be released into the wild. Perhaps they’re injured, elderly or came to us at such a young age that they’ve never learned to hunt. Now, they act as ambassadors for their species and live peacefully in up to 50-acre enclosures on the Okonjima Reserve.

The centre is a by-product of AfriCat’s rehabilitation programme, which was launched in the 1990s to rescue cheetahs and leopards from livestock farmers. Since then, the foundation has expanded with the aim of protecting all carnivores in Namibia. You can learn about AfriCat’s mission and predator programme at the information centre and clinic; we often get university and vet-school groups visiting to benefit from our research.

You’ll also get to see the cheetahs; there are only a few left in the centre, which is a good thing because we want to move away from keeping animals in captivity and show guests wildlife in its natural habitat instead. They live in a stress-free environment, are fed a balanced diet and receive annual veterinary health checks. It’s a great opportunity to get up close to these fantastic beasts.