Once extinct cheetah population grows in Malawi

Posted on 23 November 2018

It is the first time in 20 years that cheetahs are roaming the land in Malawi. In May 2017, the Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) and African Parks translocated four adult cheetahs from South Africa to Liwonde National Park in Malawi. Cheetahs were declared extinct in the country 20 years ago. And now, this little group has started to expand after two females gave birth to cubs.

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Hanging inside an old tree with new friends…maybe the largest/oldest tree I’ve ever seen! #stillsharingafricapics #wearetravelgirlsmalawi2018 #africa #malawi #baobabtree

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In 2017, there were only 7,100 cheetahs left in the entire world. South Africa has had the majority of the existing population within its borders and has seen a steady incline in its cheetah population. In 2014, the estimated population was between 1,200 – 1,300 in South Africa, whereas in 2017 cheetah numbers rose to between 1,166 – 1,742.

Other African countries have noted a drastic decline in their wild cheetah populations – some have been wiped out completely – for a multitude of reasons. Zimbabwe experienced an 85% decline in its cheetah populations between 1999 and 2015, with an estimated 170 animals documented there in 2016. South Africa’s more stable cheetah population is one of the reasons why the cheetahs were translocated from here.

The cheetahs are from four separate reserves – Phinda Private Game Reserve, Mountain Zebra National Park, Welgevonden Private Game reserve, and Amakhala Private Game Reserve. They were then flown on a light aircraft from OR Tambo to their new home at Liwonde National Park in Malawi.

 

A cheetah being safely released into a boma in Liwonde National Park in 2017.  (Source: africaparks.org)

 

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One of the first cheetahs to be reintroduced to @liwonde_national_park in Malawi has been successfully fitted with a tracking collar. Known as CM2, this seven year old male was one of four cheetahs who were reintroduced to Liwonde in May 2017, after a 100-year absence in the park, and a 20-year absence in the country. Since their reintroduction last year, the population has since tripled! An experienced team of conservation experts and wildlife vets safely darted this male in order to fit the collar which will allow us to track his movements via satellite. Through collaring individual animals, important detailed information can be gathered such as home range sizes, habitat use and preferences, spatial movements compared to other predators and also associations among the existing cheetah population, and overall survival. Within an hour of being darted he was back on his feet, exploring the flood plains of the park. With the reintroduction of lions to Liwonde earlier this year, Liwonde is quickly emerging as a bright spot for big cat conservation and for tourism in Malawi, thanks to support from our partners including the Malawi Government, the Dutch Government, @endangeredwildlifetrust , @lionrecovery and the @leonardodicapriofdn

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A year after a valiant and successful translocation, one of the females gave birth to four healthy cubs in October 2018. Shortly after this, the second female that had been translocated to the park also gave birth, and had at least three cubs. These are the first wild cheetah cubs to be born in Malawi since cheetahs were first declared extinct in the country two decades ago. This is a major success for conservation, as there is hope for other species to be reintroduced to lands their ancestors once roamed.

Unfortunately there were no photos available of the newborn cubs at the time of publication, but here are some adorable photos of other cheetah cubs for you to swoon over:

(Source: Unsplash)

 






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