What We Support
Through generous donations from Canadians, we are able to support five key cheetah conservation programs (managed by Cheetah Conservation Fund in northeast Namibia):
1. School Outreach Program
Reaching out to school age children means that conservation awareness increasingly becomes part of the fabric of Namibian society. These programs play a vital role in encouraging young people to pursue higher education. Students also learn about biodiversity and its importance to their country’s economy and social welfare.
2. Future Farmers of Africa
This program teaches farmers, students, educators and policy-makers about the value of sustainable farming, livestock and grasslands management techniques – including predator-friendly approaches – through modern agricultural practices. This program helps to enhance the livelihoods of Namibian farmers while reducing human-wildlife conflict.
3. Livestock Guarding Dog Program
One of the most effective and non-lethal ways to reduce human-wildlife conflict has proven to be the Livestock Guarding Dog Program. Kangal/Anatolian Shepherd dogs are bred and raised at CCF and placed with local farmers to help manage their livestock. The dogs protect herds by barking loudly and scaring away a cheetah or another type of predator; the farmer no longer needs to kill wildlife to protect his herd.
4. Cheetah Care
Cheetah Conservation Fund provides a sanctuary for cheetahs that have been orphaned, injured or unable to survive in the wild.
Captured by farmers, about 40 cheetahs receive care for the rest of their lives (nutrition and veterinary care) and the opportunity to live in conditions as close as possible to the wild.
5. Countering the Illegal Pet Trade
For centuries, the cheetah has been coveted by wealthy and privileged individuals in societies through the ages, mostly as a status symbol. Sadly, there is still a high demand for cheetahs as pets today.
To meet this demand, cheetahs have to be illegally captured from the wild and then smuggled to the different parts of the world they are desired. The illegal pet trade in cheetahs is a significant contributor to the cheetah’s population decline and endangerment.
CCF in Africa
Located near the city of Ojiwarongo in northeast Namibia, Africa, Cheetah Conservation Fund is a full-scale conservation NGO working to save the cheetah and its ecosystem.