Back in Namibia Post Tour – Update from Dr. Marker

Hi! I just want to thank you all! I finally made it back home a week ago. What a journey.

It was night and turning dark when I returned but I was soon out with staff where we were all in the cheetah pens trying to move cheetahs that were not supposed to be together. I saw Little C. in the morning and he has grown by a 1/3rd bigger. Chewbaaka had a sore foot – so he sat at the door all morning crying with his paw held up. He had a cut on his toe. I worked with our vet team on 2 of the 5 cheetah workups. The vet team worked like a well-oiled machine and currently consists of: 2 vets- 2 retired nurses (volunteers), University of Florida students, 2 vet techs, 2 reproductive physiologists – the rest of our CCF team and students.

We had an unexpected surprise in a spitting cobra popping up next to bedroom window in mid-morning – Bruce caught it and got spit at in eye. He was ok thankfully and we released the snake… far from the house. It is pouring down rain with the roads over-flowing in Otjiwarongo. The grass likes the rain, it’s taller than my knees and so green!

I met all our new puppies. Many left for new homes on Saturday with more going out in the next days. We still have a full litter here with mom – so cute! I also met Spots, our new livestock guarding puppy from Holland. He is so cute and very big, he’s a hefty one!

I got a full reporting on what i missed while I was gone:

• We have new tee-shirts in gift shop!
• New camera traps out in new farm area.
• Two wild cheetahs hanging around the Centre, dorms and our house.
• Lots of new goat kids and sheep lambs.
• We have cheetahs coming out of our ears!

Thanks for all your help and appreciate all your help in our collective efforts to SAVE the CHEETAH.