Brevard Zoo supports the Cheetah Conservation Fund through a variety of small grants. In the past we have created several Environmental Teaching (puppet) Suitcases to be used in Namibia, Botswana, Kenya and South Africa. In addition we created a conservation poster using already existing artwork that Brevard Zoo had created for the Africa exhibit opening five years ago. In the future we hope to continue support of CCF through small grants such as the one submitted below by CCF.

Learn more by following these links: Project Updates, Videos, Photos, Maps, Links, FAQ, Documents

“In its almost 20 years, the Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) has worked to change Namibian farmers’ and landowners’ negative mindset about predators and to teach them ways to prevent predation of their livestock and game. As a result of CCF’s successful outreach to farmers and land owners in Namibia, the organization is often called on to help farmers with perceived problem cheetahs on their land. When necessary, CCF removes trapped cheetahs from properties. The vast majority of these animals are returned to the wild quickly. Some, however, have sustained an injury that prevents them from being released back into the wild or have been orphaned too young to be able to survive if released. In these cases, CCF cares for these animals on its 39,000-hectare property in Namibia. Currently, CCF has 52 cheetahs, aged 8 months to 14 years.

The cheetahs that are most habituated to people are kept at CCF’s visitor’s centre, and therefore act as ambassadors to people who visit CCF, such as farmers’ course participants, school groups, and tourists. These cheetahs are an important part of CCF’s educational outreach program. Additionally, all of CCF’s cheetahs participate in various research studies conducted by CCF. Blood, semen and tissue samples collected during medical workups provide material for genetic, reproductive, hormonal and other studies that are benefiting both captive and wild populations of cheetah. Behavioral studies have resulted in a “rewilding” protocol that has seen captive cheetahs successfully returned to the wild.

While CCF was not envisioned to be a sanctuary for cheetahs, it has been necessary to take in animals that cannot care for themselves in the wild. These cheetahs are provided with the best possible care, and in return they provide the conservation world with valuable information about cheetahs in captivity.”