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DeWildt
Cheetah Project
The DeWildt
Cheetah Project was established in 1971 with
the aim of breeding endangered species. Over the past two decades the
Centre's efforts have resulted in the major achievement of breeding
what was once a threatened species, the cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus).
Over the years, nearly 600 cheetah cubs have been born at De Wildt - a
dramatic contrast to the days when the cheetah population of South
Africa was estimated at a mere 700. While the cheetah project
was the base from which the Centre launched its conservation ethic, it
soon widened to include other rare and endangered animal species such
as the wild dog, brown hyaena, serval, suni antelope, blue and red
duiker, bontebok, riverine rabbit and vultures - including the very
rare Egyptian vulture. Many of these have been successfully bred for
later reintroduction into the wild, thus helping to repopulate areas
where such species have disappeared or are no longer abundant.
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