Cheetah Conservation Fund Announces Opening of Cheetah View Lodge

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Cheetah Conservation Fund
P.O. Box 1755
Otjiwarongo, Namibia
phone: +264 (0)67-306225
fax: +264 (0)67-306247
ccfinfo@iway.na

CHEETAH CONSERVATION FUND ANNOUNCES OPENING OF CHEETAH VIEW LODGE

OTJIWARONGO, Namibia (18 July 2017) – Earlier this month, Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) opened the doors for guests to its new, five-bedroom Cheetah View Lodge at its Field Research & Education Centre in Otjiwarongo, Namibia. Situated on CCF’s breath-taking, 46,000-hectare private game reserve at the base of Waterberg Plateau National Park, the lodge was built to accommodate international visitors wishing to spend more time learning about CCF’s conservation work. Cheetah View Lodge is aimed at the mid-priced tourist market and joins CCF’s existing luxury accommodation, Babson Guest House, as an option for overnight visitors.

“A key component of our mission is to educate people about the conservation work we do. In opening Cheetah View Lodge, more guests can stay with us longer and immerse themselves in all we do to save the cheetah”, said Dr Marker. “Our holistic approach to conservation is intriguing for visitors, and our many programmes offer much for them to learn”.

CCF administers a wide range of projects, including a livestock guarding dog programme that breeds, trains and places dogs with Namibian farmers; a training course that teaches best agricultural techniques to rural farming communities, Future Farmers of Africa; and a school outreach programme that educates young learners about Namibian wildlife. CCF also operates a world-renowned genetics lab that collaborates with researchers working on many African species and shares its data internationally, has a thriving ecology department that conducts regular game counts, and a biomass technology plant that produces a clean-burning biomass fuel log from sustainably harvested, excess thorn bush.

“CCF welcomes more than 10,000 tourists each year as day visitors, and they have long expressed an interest in learning about the programme work of CCF. Opening Cheetah View enables visitors to spend more time with us, to witness conservation in action, and our hope is they will spread the word internationally”, said Dr Marker.

The new lodge, which was dedicated by CCF’s Royal Patron HRH Princess Michael of Kent in April, is built in a modern chalet style and offers spectacular views of the Waterberg Plateau. The lodge offers visitors the opportunity to book cheetah conservation activities, game drives and escorted bush walks, as well as access to CCF conservation projects.

Cheetah View Lodge is now open and is located a five-minute walk from CCF’s main campus. In addition to the five suites, Cheetah View includes a private dining room that overlooks a scenic water hole where guests can observe a variety of wildlife. Introductory rates start from $1270 NAD per person, per night, on a half-board basis (Breakfast and Dinner).

Reservations:
Tel: +264 (0) 67 306225​
Email: bookings@exclusive.com.na
Web: www.cheetahecolodge.com

About CCF (Cheetah Conservation Fund) Founded in 1990, CCF is an international research, education and conservation institution dedicated to ensuring the long-term survival of the cheetah. From its field research base in Otjiwarongo, Namibia, CCF gathers and shares critical information on the species and uses it to formulate strategies to combat the species’ main threats, which are human-carnivore conflict, habitat loss and the illegal wildlife trade. For more information, please visit www.cheetah.org

Follow us on social @ccfcheetah

About Dr Laurie Marker: Dr Laurie Marker is an award-winning scientist recognized as one of the world’s leading expert on the cheetah. TIME Magazine has named her as a “Hero of the Planet,” and she has been awarded the Tyler Prize for the Environment (the environmental equivalent to a Nobel Prize), the E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Technology Pioneer Award, the Ulysses S. Seal Award for Innovation in Conservation, and the International Conservation Caucus Foundation Good Steward Award, and she is a Lowell Thomas Award recipient from the Explorer’s Club.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Susan Yannetti, CCF External Relations Manager
susan@cheetah.org
+1- (202) 716-7756