Double Your Donation to the Cheetahs – Chewbaaka’s Wild Cheetah Challenge 2024

This year we’ve made great strides in our journey to conserve cheetahs, especially with our extensive efforts in Somaliland. Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) is committed to maintaining cheetahs in their natural habitats, a practice that proves not only ecologically beneficial but also cost-effective.

It is approximately 65% more expensive to care for cheetahs once they have been removed from the wild due to threats such as human-wildlife conflict, habitat loss, and the illegal wildlife/pet trade. This highlights the importance of our proactive conservation strategies aimed at keeping cheetahs in the wild, where they belong.

With your help, we are saving the cheetah in the wild, by working to stop the illegal wildlife trade and reduce human wildlife conflict. You can help us and make twice the impact with a donation before August 31st.

Our annual Chewbaaka challenge campaign is named after Chewbaaka, CCF’s most celebrated ambassador, who played a pivotal role in our awareness and educational programs. During his interactions at our Centre, Chewbaaka helped farmers and students understand the importance of cheetahs, showcasing their special nature. Over his 16-year lifespan, he was observed by thousands of farmers and students, fostering understanding of wildlife coexistence and conservation. The cooperation of local farmers is vital for the successful release of cheetahs back into the wild. These community members are some of CCF’s strongest allies in our mission to conserve the cheetah and its ecosystem.

In Namibia, we continue to monitor one of the largest remaining cheetah populations. Here, 20% of the world’s wild cheetahs are still living free in the wild due to CCF’s effective mitigation strategies. After three decades of tirelessly perfecting our work in Namibia, we’ve adapted our programs for the Horn of Africa:

• Researching Cheetah Population and Distribution
• Completing a new Education Centre
• Developing Community Conservancies

We just broke ground on our new Education Centre in Somaliland which will serve as a hub for conservation education and training. This facility will play a crucial role in fostering a deeper understanding and appreciation of wildlife conservation in the region. Working with local communities will directly contribute to the long-term survival of cheetahs. Alongside this, more enclosures have been developed providing a safe and enriching environment for nearly 100 orphan cheetahs which have been confiscated from the illegal wildlife pet trade. Additionally, we are intensifying our efforts to study cheetah populations in the region through community surveys and remote observation techniques to accurately gauge the population, and better understand the interactions with the local communities.

Our efforts in Somaliland are still in their formative stages. The large number of resident cheetahs in Somaliland reflects the urgent need for our presence in the region. Our partnership with the government of Somaliland through the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (MoECC) has proven very effective in helping combating illegal wildlife trade activities resulting in more confiscations. The next steps in expanding our work will reduce the demand for cheetahs as pets and help mitigate the human-wildlife conflict. The species is at great risk from the amount of cheetahs being taken from the wild.

Your support continues to be critical for our efforts to keep cheetahs living in the wild. By supporting CCF, you enable us to mitigate the risks that are endangering the cheetah and to help us care for the rescued and confiscated cheetahs at our Field Conservation Centres in Namibia and Somaliland. By advancing our programs, we can mitigate the main threats to cheetahs in the wild resulting in fewer cheetah from being killed or being taken from the wild. With fewer than 7,500 cheetahs remaining globally, your contribution is more than a donation – it is an investment in the future of the cheetah.

Thank you for your continued support and dedication to our cause. Together, we can ensure a thriving future for the cheetah and the ecosystems they inhabit.

Chewbaaka

CCF’s Most Celebrated Ambassador

Chewbaaka was raised by Dr. Laurie Marker from a cub just weeks old. His became a cornerstone of CCF’s education and awareness programs. He had a calm demeanor and engaging presence that allowed many to shift their negative perspectives on cheetahs.

The cheetahs in Somaliland come to us under stressful conditions as very young cubs. Many have medical conditions that will limit their ability for rehabilitation into the wild. They will serve as ambassadors for the wild cheetahs, with hope the illegal wildlife trade will soon stop.