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Wild Tales
Newsletter
The Ann van Dyk Cheetah Centre
April 2010
Dear Friends
Goodness, time flies, we are a third of the way through 2010 and have very little to show for it except rain, rain and more rain. The Centre and the Cheetah Lodge fortunately are built on a slope, but Shingwedzi Game Ranch is on sandy ground and there are massive dongas where the soil has been washed down into the Sand River. I never realised it before, but the name of this river is very apt.
I think I mentioned in one of the previous letters, that due to mine blasting and the continual hum of cars and trucks on the highway, we have moved our male and female breeding cheetahs to Shingwedzi. This has been very successful and hopefully we have some pregnant females.
Although finances are tight, thanks to a great team, the Centre, Lodge and Shingwedzi are back on track and ready to face the future.
A special word of thanks to Theresa van der Linde, our lawyer, who guided and saw us through a very difficult time.
Ann van Dyk
Founder and Director
Charity Karting Day in Aid of the Cheetah
Once again we need to say thank you to Clare Vale (our very own, one of a kind, female racing driver) as well as Don and Dirk Vale, who put together an amazing charity event in aid of the Ann van Dyk Cheetah Centre - a karting day held at the Kyalami Race Track. A request went out for Corporate teams to enter this event and we were asked to enter a team for which a sponsor would be found. Thank you to Robert at the Kyalami Kart circuit for waiving our teams fee and also giving a discount to the others as this made our donation even larger.
There was much excitement as we selected our excited little farm team which consisted of Rita, from the Education Project, Wilma and Monique from the animal section, Alister from the maintenance side, Craig – our resident volunteer co-ordinator from Wild at Heart and Rudi our off site mechanic who maintains all our vehicles. (I must add at this point that there was quite a bit of disappointment from the geriatric team which includes Alan our farm manager, Andre our maintenance manager, myself – jack of all trades and although I don’t think we will every convince Ann to get into a go kart and race around Kyalami, there was a wicked glint in her eye when we suggested it. We may need to consider a slow stage for us at some time.)
The date set was the 26th of March and with Alan, Ann and I holding the fort back at the Centre, our little farm team made their way to Kyalami. They gave it their best shot, but against the masters of the racing art, sadly came last. (At this point we challenge those masters to come and look a hungry wild dog or cheetah in the eye and then see who comes first). That said, we need to say a very big thank you to all the teams that entered the event on the day, as the result of this was a sizeable donation to the Ann van Dyk Cheetah Centre, and this will be the foundation to a much needed new tour truck.
I may have forgotten to mention, and for this I will not be forgiven – Byron (his lordship) graced the event with his presence for the prize giving, and what is even more amazing is that we managed to convince Ann to accompany us to the event – what a privilege – she accepted the cheque from Clare after the days proceedings, under the watchful eye of Byron.
Thank you
……our list of thanks continues. In these tough times we are so grateful to those of you who go the extra mile to assist us. There are a few items that we are able to remove from our wish list thanks to these donations.
Petrus van der Walt of Menlyn Multifranchise and Conrand Pretorius of Menlyn Kia thank you for two brand new tyres for our family tour truck
Hein Hess of Muriel – thank you for yet another round of Frontline for our cheetahs
Pam Lessing and Judith Landau – thank you for sponsoring a brand new printer after two of our old printers went into retirement. We have networked our PC’s to the printer
and it truly does everything except make the tea.
Bill Boards
Who would ever have thought that you would be driving along a busy main street and suddenly see a great big bill board depicting the Ann van Dyk Cheetah Centre next to the road. No, we have not won the Lotto and cannot possibly afford such amazing marketing! This has been donated to us by Continental Outdoor Media, how can we ever say thank you?
While this newsletter was in process of being written an e-mail arrived and this is what it said:
Hi there Ann/Marilyn
Here’s the latest billboard we’ve flighted for the Centre:
2.5x23m – VERY big!
Passage to Domestic Departures - Cape Town International Airport
Cheers
Lyn Jones
Marketing Manager
Tel: (+ 27) 11 514 1610
Fax: (+ 27) 11 514 1401
Cell:
Internet: http://www.continentaloutdoor.com
This e-mail and its contents are subject to a disclaimer viewable at http://www.continentaloutdoor.com
And this is what the new VERY BIG billboard looks like
April fool’s Day Prank – Cheetah style
The guests that toured at the Centre on April 1st did not escape being pranked. We have an opportunity for guests to meet an ambassador cheetah, and the funds we raise are used in our Outreach Education Programme to visit underprivileged schools.
On the day in question, guests were told they have an opportunity to meet an ambassador cat (after being told about the amazing Byron, and the other ambassador cheetahs), they were also told that there is a fee of R150 per group to meet the ambassador. Many excited guests were waiting in anticipation as the Ssangyong drove up to the reception area. As the vehicle pulled up they were expecting to see a graceful cheetah hop out, but instead came Lucy, our resident (very fat) domestic cat. With straight faces, the handlers took Lucy in, and put her on the table. The expressions on the guests faces were priceless, and some were shaking their heads in disbelief while uttering “R150!”. There was a little girl who was still prepared to come up and meet Lucy.
When we pointed out to the guests that it was 1st of April, they all burst out in laughter. We allowed Lucy to get back to her nap, and brought Byron in for the real ambassador experience.
Vet on Call
It is amazing how all will be well until either late on a Friday afternoon or over a long weekend. The Easter weekend was no different, and saw us crating a cheetah who had gone off his food. As luck would have it this had to be done during a down pour and a while later some very wet staff members came trundling down the hill with one cheetah successfully crated. Peter Caldwell was called and although pressed for space said we could bring the cheetah through, he would make a plan. Then late on Saturday evening we noticed one of the wild dogs was not looking too happy, again Peter was called and after careful instruction from him, we monitored the dog and the next morning decided that she should still go in for Peter to have a look at her. Poor Peter, he all but puts his life on hold for the animals at De Wildt, once again space would have to be made for the latest patient and although he had an appointment later that morning, he first checked our wild dog and needed to do emergency surgery on her. He was late for his appointment, but the wild dog is recovering well and we are very grateful to have Peter as our vet, because as always, he puts the animals before anything else. Thank you Peter!
Behind the Scenes
There are times on this farm when you would trade your kingdom to have a video camera at the right moment. One such moment was when Alan our Animal Manager came into the office brandishing two frozen chickens. We receive chickens which have died, from various poultry farms and these need to be de-feathered and frozen. Freezer burn has been quite a problem and Alan had decided to try freezing some of the chickens in biggish bags to see if this would improve the issue. The chickens had been frozen one in bag and the other out, they had remained in the freezer for the same amount of time – at least two months – the chicken which had been frozen in the bag was still moist and fresh while the other looked like a dried out piece of biltong. In his excitement to show us that his experiment had worked, Alan, totally unaware of Oscar (Ann’s Anatolian dog) sitting at his feet, was offering first the one chicken in one hand and comparing it with the dried out one in the other, right above Oscar’s nose. Of course Oscar could not bear the temptation and as the dried out chicken was shoved across the front of his face yet again, he opened his mouth and took a firm hold of the chicken. With a startled look on Alan’s face and a smug expression on Oscar’s, a tug of war proceeded, which luckily ended in Alan winning, however, we then needed to bundle Alan and his chicken experiment out of the office and shut Oscar in as he had decided that Alan and the chickens were easy pickings.
Snippets from the
De Wildt Cheetah Lodge
With the beginnings of autumn upon us, we are marveling at how the year is flying past.
Our garden is still alive with activity, as a large variety of bird species and the ever playful squirrels are enjoying the last stretch of summer. We have even had an encounter with a snake, searching for a warm place to spend the winter. Unfortunately our tool shed just won’t do, and we had him relocated to a more appropriate setting. Currently a beautiful sight in our garden is the King Proteas that are now in full bloom, they are large as ever but with an interesting, light pink shade.
For those who are planning a little break away, or wanting to spoil their mothers this Mothers day, we are extending our current rate of R730.00 p/p sharing, to the end of May. We will also be serving a special mothers day buffet lunch on Sunday the 9th of May , please contact us for bookings at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or 079 266 2716.
If you are perhaps planning your December holidays, we have our High Summer Special of R730.00 p/p sharing, running from the 1st of December 2010 until the 28th of February 2011. These rates both include a 3-course dinner and 2-course breakfast.
We have recently extended our menu to include a true South African style braai dinner. This is done in the garden under a beautiful starlit sky, with lanterns illuminating the area, assisting in creating a warm, relaxing atmosphere. All amounting to a lovely experience… weather permitting.
It seems as though business is picking up and we are rather busy between Conferences and Luncheons held at the Lodge. We are, of course, enjoying it very much and are looking forward to hosting even more groups throughout the year.
Lastly, we would like to thank Kevin Kotze for kindly writing a computer application especially for the Lodge, to help with bookings and much more. This will definitely assist us endlessly (figuratively as well as literally, since this application can function until the year 2999. Anyone interested in booking?).
All the best for the coming month.
The Cheetah Lodge.
.....and from
De Wildt/Shingwedzi
Maya, the caracal kitten
Thank you to everyone who sent us suggestions to name our little caracal. She has been named Maya, as suggested by Fiona Zerbst.
Maya has been joined by Mika and Milo, (thank you Michael van Eijk and Romy Vurden for your suggestion) as mommy Molly was sneaky and found a way around her recent contraceptive implant.
Cubs on the way
Our female cheetahs are having serious confidence problems. Some of our recent visitors have been suggesting that we might be overfeeding and the ladies were not impressed with this comment. They would like to set the record straight and inform you that they are not overweight but expecting cubs in the next couple of weeks. Our breeding camps will be closed off soon to give the new cubs a chance to start their life in peace and quiet.
Bruce and Dale released
Shingwedzi has a very big population of squirrels and they all love our chalets thatched roofs. These two little ones fell out of the roof and were found early morning on the cold floor inside Kolobe. They were named Bruce and Dale and were hand reared for a few months. We decided they were strong enough to be released back onto the farm a few weeks ago. They hung around for a few days but have now gone off to be where they belong. We wish them all the best and hope they have a long and happy life.
Wild caracal released
This adult male caracal came to us after causing mischief and being caught on a farm. He had several injuries, mostly to the face and eyes. He stayed at Shingwedzi for several months until he was healthy enough to be released.
Education
Easter fun for Orphanage
Diana Ducros, a proud adoptive parent, read about our request to sponsor a visit to an underprivileged school. Our team came up with the idea to use her funds to make Easter very special for a group of orphans from Changing Lives Orphanage.
11 excited little ones ranging in age from 2 – 16 years arrived at the centre on 1 April, not knowing what to expect. They all went on a walking tour, and learnt a great deal about the animals on the farm. They returned to our onsite education building, ‘Reach for the Wild’, to have a fun filled morning.
The gardens around Reach for the Wild were laden with marshmallow Easter eggs, and organised chaos erupted as the children began the hunt. Once back inside, and while counting up their eggs to decide on a winner, they received another surprise. Each little one (plus a 12th child that could not be present on the day) received a goodie bag with stickers, crayons, a cheetah workbook, cheetah pictures, a gorgeous teddy bunny, chocolate bunny, eggs and lolly. After all the excitement, refreshments were had by all, and then it was time to go home.
Millie, who runs Changing Lives, also runs a feeding scheme at an impoverished school just outside of Johannesburg near Diepsloot. The school has an amazing vegetable garden, and the parents that assist Millie do not get paid, but rather get donations of clothing. Please keep them in mind when clearing out your wardrobes, particularly with winter approaching.
We can help put you in touch with Millie if you wish to assist, and look forward to helping more schools and institutions through your donations. Big thanks to Diana Ducros, and The American International School of Johannesburg for already sponsoring visits.
Education Updates
Byron has been quite a busy boy this year, and his diary does not only have schools booked in it, but also hot dates up in Lovers Lane. Our team has visited a number of institutions, and Byron continues to touch lives and inspire both young and old.
Our Centre also recently hosted the first meeting of educators from Ga-Rankuwa that have set up an Eco-Forum. The EWT initiated this forum, and together with support of many institutions, including The Department of Education, National Zoological Gardens and ourselves, challenged the educators in this community to tackle environmental problems they face. After a few committee meetings, it was time to invite educators onto our farm, and share with them the ideas of the committee. The response was heart-warming, and it seems that Ga-Rankuwa is going to become a much greener community. Recycling projects, cleanup operations, greening schools and vegetable gardens are some of the goals, but schools are also starting to commit to becoming Eco-schools, which is absolutely amazing. Amos Letsoalo from EWT, and Mrs Cornelius from Dept. Of Education were integral in setting up the forum, and as a result of their hard work, Ga-Rankuwa is going to shine.
The educators were treated to a tour of the Centre after the meeting, and all the amazing animals on the farm. This together with the amazing scenery is enough to motive anyone into becoming more conservation minded.
We wish this Eco-Forum all the best, and believe that the little ones from this community are privileged to be a part of history in the making while transforming their schools.
Please let us know if you would like to support this impoverished community in any way to achieve their goals.
Wish List
Chest Deep Freezes for animal food – Once or twice a week we send our food collection vehicle around to certain chicken farms that allow us to collect any chickens that have had to be slaughtered - this is used to supplement our animal food requirements as meat is often in short supply. We need chest freezers to place at these farms which will enable us to collect once a week instead of twice and will aid enormously in reducing our monthly fuel bill.
Fixing up of enclosures - After many years of holding animals, our enclosures are in need of some revamping. Any donations will be most welcome to assist with this project.
Tools - With the wide variety of maintenance we have on the farm, there is always a need for tools, anything from spades, slashers and other garden equipment to hammers, screwdrivers and power tools.
Two way Radios - We have a selection of old radios which just do not talk to each other anymore, some of them need a good jolt followed by turning them off and on again before they work. When there is a crisis on the farm and the radios are not working very well, it can be very frustrating.
FROM THE ADOPTIONS DESK
As mentioned in our previous newsletter we needed to adjust our adoption levels in order for the animals to fully benefit from your donations. We have had an overwhelmingly positive response and are happy to welcome many new parents and are very grateful to the ones who have renewed their support.
The lowest level of adoption is Silver level at R600. However, any donations under R600, are of course still welcome, as all donations make a difference.
Purring thanks are sent out to all our adoptive parents and parents who have renewed their support!
This month there are a few people that the Ann van Dyk Cheetah Centre would like to make special mention of and they are:
Sean Williams Consulting for becoming our first Corporate Friend of the Cheetah and also for adopting a cheetah and a wild dog at Tanzanite level.
An adoption at Tanzanite level, allows you to go on a unique behind the scenes feeding tour, Sean himself, came along with his business partner Yvette to see their cheetah Kay, named after Sean’s mother who passed away very unexpectedly last year. The Centre thinks it is an admirable gesture that Sean has made in memory of his mum.
Sean and Yvette thoroughly enjoyed their afternoon with us and at the end of the day, they also had an opportunity to meet Ann.
After their first, of which we are sure, many visits, Sean Williams Consulting decided to also adopt an African Wild Dog at Tanzanite level and their sister company; Sean Williams
Contracts kindly assisted with funding our new “Rolls Royce” bush cutter. Thank you!
Byron’s camp BEFORE 
and AFTER 
On Good Friday, the staff were very happy to greet and welcome back another adoptive parent, Mrs Gami Stewart came through to see one of her adopted children; Jinx. Gami was in for a surprise as Jinx is being trained to become an ambassador and this Good Friday was a very special day as he made his premier on the table, meeting and allowing people to have a touch experience with him. Gami was very impressed with how well he was doing his job and for the rest of the day she was beaming with pride! Who wouldn’t be?
Gami also brought along a few near and dear ones and to see an ambassador cheetah for the first time and feel it purr – it is so true that sometimes a picture or two say more than words:
To have a photographic moment with one of our ambassador cheetahs help raise funds for our educational visits to underprivileged schools – thank you all who have had your Kodak moment with one of our cats!
The Centre would also like to mention two special kids, over in the US, who have started their own non-profit organisation to help support endangered species. Olivia and Carter Ries are not even 10 years old but have already made a difference for many animals. They have held their first fundraisers and decided to donate some of the money that they raised to the centre. They have also adopted two of our cheetahs, Keep up the good work kids; you are an inspiration to us all!
A special thank you to Bettina Moehr for renewing her adoptions of as many as 3 animals and taking out a new adoption.
A special thank you to Gilla Kaplan for renewing her adoptions of as many as 3 animals and taking out a new adoption on behalf of Zoe Ismail.
Thank you to Peter and Thia van der Westhuizen for your monthly donation and Frans Holsgens for your kind donation.
De Wildt & Shingwedzi adoptions
Silver adoptions:
Leora Givati, Henry Epstein, Karen Kay, Clare Graham, Trudi Warren, Keegan Fraser, Ryan Esterhuizen, Kathryn Soll, Ella Saunders, Eva Bungert , Karen Kay, Henry Epstein, Kayla Davies
Gold adoptions:
Angela Arnesen, Stig Arnesen, Bordin Monnier, Yolande Trevisan, Janet, Mario Sardinha Jardin, Theresa Nelson, Celeste Bronkhorst, Jennifer Hognerud, Sebastian Heirbaut, Janet, Steve Burnham
Platinum adoptions:
Miguel Antonio Bento. Bozlinski and Gaudet Wedding Guests, Bettina Moehr, Idalette Maree, Pieter & Liza Bosman, Keith & Lynn Cooper
Diamond adoption
Ria Sanz, Lema International, Zoe Ismail
Tanzanite adoptions
Sean Williams Consulting, Whirlair Ltd
Renewals
Silver
Roosmarie Strydon, Carter & Olivia Ries, Colleen McAlpine, Chloe gent, Heather Ashdown, Marc Nybo Jantzen, Dianne Fuller, Marinda Heuschen
Gold:
Jim Blackwood, Bettina Moehr, Thane Duff, Carmen & Tony Kadge, Peta Phillips, Barbara Ludman, Heather Ashdown, Steve & Tracy Broadbent, Theresa Thomson, Meryl & Jo
Platinum:
Zarina Lee Cooper, In Memory of Philip John Myson, Alastair Taylor, Gilla Kaplan, David Michielson & Nicholas Smith
Diamond
Richard Nicholson, Free 2 View Foundation, Bettina Moehr, Robert Gesink,
Now, over to introducing Gondor & Brettie – the other two cheetahs that you may see when you go on a family tour here at the centre.
Gondor
Gondor is a really special cat, cheeky as anything else, but there is something about him that is just very compelling. Gondor came in to the Centre in 2007 for rehab but he didn’t recover fully for release back into the wild, so it was decided he would remain at the Centre where he would become part of our breeding programme and be seen by our family tours. He was estimated to be about 5 years old but might actually be older than first estimated.
It saddens us that we have to let you know that Gondor has not been feeling well lately and he had to be taken through to our vet Peter the other day. He is under the best of care and should soon be back on the farm. Boy, is he missed badly by his camp mate Brettie!
Brettie
Brettie is a wild child that came in to the centre in 2008, He is estimated to be about six years old. He was to be released back into the wild but had a leg problem so it was decided to keep him with Gondor to also be part of the breeding program and family tour. We are very excited as Brettie mated for the first time last week , which means he is now a real man.
Donations that help pay for Gondor’s veterinary care are of course most welcome and at the moment Brettie is looking for an adoptive parent.
The staff at the Centre, have been discussing human look-a-like’s for our cheetahs and Gondor is definitely our Johnny Depp! Our first ambassador Byron, with his curly whiskers is our own Sean Connery and Dave that you meet when going on a regular tour is our Brad Pitt. However, we are not too sure who Brettie’s human look-a-like could be and we would like to ask you to tell us what you think! Please mail us on This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and let us know.
Relaunching recruiting campaign.
We are relaunching our recruiting campaign – due to technical problems with our website during the beginning of March, we feel we need to give it another try:
The single person who helps us recruit the most adoptive parents during May, gold level and up will get to go on a unique behind the scenes feeding tour. Please mail us on This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it if you would like some more info or have recruited someone.
Cute creatures
Last but not least, two gorgeous photos! The first one is a photo of our two meerkats, Amata & Timone. This photo was taken by one of our volunteers, helping out here at the Centre. You can tell Timone is being very sweet and protective of his precious Amata. Also a photo of Scarlett, the one cheetah, residing here, that can wrap any human being around her little paws, chance given. She is the sweetest thing!
Next time, we will introduce our Big Campers, the five cheetahs that you see in the 5ha Ssangyong camp, when going on a regular tour.
TAIL END
Jacob, the Snake and the Cheetah
By Alan Strachan
It was an uneventful feeding round. We had managed to avoid the herd of marauding elephants, has a slight skirmish with a pack of hungry penguins, crossed two flooded roads and avoided a landslide. Nothing new on a De Wildt feeding round.
Until we reached camp C on IAMS drive. The food had been prepared earlier for female F343 who lived here, so it was just a matter of Jacob climbing off the truck and carrying the dish into the camp, slipping it under the door and returning safely. Little did we know that today was the day Fate took a hand!
Jacob sauntered in through the gate, whistling Nkosi Sikelele Afrika, I sat in the truck watching, checking to see the cheetah was okay and ready for her food. All of a sudden Jacob did a summersault, with a triple turn in the air, landed on his feet doing three back flips with a double turn on the last, through the gate. Beyond him I could see a massive Cape Cobra swaying back and forward.
At the same time as this the cheetah had come up for her food, she did a standing jump of 2 metres and change of direction in mid air before disappearing into the bush.
Jacob ran up to me, a big toothless grin “SSShhhnnake!!!!” he said. “Yes Jacob,” I agreed.
We both returned, Jacob reluctantly, but I pushed him harder. Mr Cobra was very upset, with his head raised he was about 50cm off the ground and a length of 1.5 metres. But with a few well placed rocks thrown around him and the magic words, “Hiss off” he slithered into the thick bush, ready to terrorize another day. The cheetah was okay, she came up for her food later, but Jacob refuses to go back into Camp C!!
CONTACT DETAILS
The Ann van Dyk Cheetah Centre
(Trading as: The De Wildt Cheetah Centre)
Tel: (012) 504 9906/7/8
Cell: 083 892 0515
083 675 5668
Website:
E-mail:
Reservations: Admin/Office: Adoptions:
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
The Cheetah Lodge:
Tel: (012) 504 2077
Cell: 079 266 2716
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Wild Tales
Newsletter The Ann van Dyk Cheetah Centre February 2010 |
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Dear Friends, What a wonderful rainy season we have had – the farm looks exceptionally beautiful, with running streams and lush green undergrowth. It takes us all our time to keep the enclosures cut. Species of birds unusual to this area have moved in – such as yellow billed hornbills, woodland kingfishers, crimson breasted shrikes and others, all adding colour to the green foliage. The cheetah breeding season is upon us and hopefully we will once again have cheetah cubs to show you. Plans for 2010 – the Public Benefit Organisation (PBO) status for the Centre is in the pipeline. To be known as CHEETA (Community Help Enviro-Education Through Animals). Specific donations will be channelled into this programme. Byron and his partner Roy will increase their visits to township and rural schools, while school children will be bussed to De Wildt. One of our pipe dreams is to erect a tented camp at the Centre to accommodate 10 scholars from local schools in Garankuwa. Apart from learning about the animals they will be taught the basics of planting vegetables as well as the collection and planting of the seeds of trees indigenous to the Magaliesberg. Best wishes and I am sure 2010 is going to be a great year. Ann van Dyk Founder and Director
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More Thank you’s |
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Some of the other items on our wish list that we have received are; Web cam – thank you to Ernest Saunders – We will now be able to start with our internet learning project. Printer and various other items – To Cynthia Kemp, thank you for the printer and other useful items which you donated. State of the art printer, copier, scanner – thank you to Pamela Lessing and Judith Landau who e-mailed us and asked us to get a quote for a good printer and on receiving the various quotes, told us to order the most expensive one which will do just about everything except make the tea Tyres – Thank you to Toni Mackintosh of Good year for kindly donating a set of brand new tyres for one of our farm vehicles and to Clare Vale for organising this. Fridge for Hospital – Craig Saunders our volunteer co-ordinater Weekend Argus Travel Section – Thank you to Nerine Dorman for publishing a piece on the Centre Minuteman Press Hatfield – Thank you to Miemie and Gerhard Snyman for printing our brochures at a very reasonable rate as well as adding on an extra 1000 brochures at no charge
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Then there has to be thanks given to those tireless supporters of the Centre who go around on a daily basis begging and pleading on our behalf. One such supporter is Clare Vale a very special lady and a very interesting one. She is one of the few female racing drivers in South Africa and over the past few years has supported us wherever she can and for this we say thank you. Thank you for always looking for areas that you can assist us. We are very proud to have our logo on your racing car. |
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Frontline - With all the rain we have been having, parasites like ticks and fleas pose a very large threat to our cheetahs. Thanks to Hein Hesse of Merial we receive a very generous donation of Frontline which keeps our cheetahs parasite free. |
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Positive feedback from Farmland areas
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We very often receive calls from farm land areas that are not very positive. Cheetahs and other predators are identified as a problem and more often than not a number of the farmers become quite irate and want some form of solution. We recently received a call from a farmer who although he only had 400ha was quite happy for a female cheetah and her cub to stay on his land as he enjoyed having them there. However he was concerned that his small prey base would not be sufficient to sustain them and was concerned that if they moved onto neighbouring farms, they might be shot. We have had some feedback that the female and cub will be able to safely stay in the area.
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Wild Tales Newsletter The Ann van Dyk Cheetah Centre December 2009 |
Dear Friends,
Great news! At last we are able to provide family tours which will include children under the age of 6 years, who sadly in the past we were unable to accommodate. We are in the process of converting one of our vehicles into a fun game viewer and we will be taking bookings as from the 5th of December. Added to this, for the first time ever we will be doing a special Christmas Day tour and lunch, and we hope to see you there.
Wishing you a very merry Christmas and all the best for 2010!
Ann van Dyk
Founder and Director
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Big Big Thank You’s
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The Ann van Dyk Cheetah Centre has been very fortunate over the past few months in that we have received some wonderful donations which have enabled us to continue with our work. Some of these include 8 brand new computers, 2 vehicles, a Kia and a Hyundai and our long standing supporters, Ssangyong and Seremed have continued with their very valuable sponsorship. The time has come to say thank you to you all.
Da Vinci SEED Programme’s Prof Roy Marcus, Gail Styger, Keith Orffer and Lenovo’s Mr Henry Ferreira (pictured below) and members of staff – Thank you for the eight computers which came exactly at the right moment. These computers are now hard at work dealing with animal records, correspondence, our point of sale in the curio shop and much more. All staff members, including our hard working part time guides are very grateful that we no longer work on equipment that merely shuts down when it feels like it, or as our IT person said, ‘dates out of the ARK’. The Outreach Education Programme is also very grateful as, in amongst these lovely computers, there was a laptop specially designated for the visits we do to schools.
Mr Ross Barlow of Kia Motors – Thank you for arranging the donation of the Kia vehicle, through Imperial Select in Menlyn. This donation also arrived at exactly the right moment. We were down to one vehicle (and a wheelbarrow – just about) when the vehicle arrived, like a knight in shining armour. There are many tasks at
the Centre that require the use of vehicles and these include: feeding the animals, fetching food for the animals, transporting of animals- whether it be between the two facilities or to the vet. The Kia is used mostly for collecting food for our animals and occasionally for moving some of them around.
Mr Philip Ruyter - Another very big thank you to Philip Ruyter who realised that we were still at least one vehicle short for the work we needed to do and he very generously sponsored our brand new Hyundai (thank you also to Mr Barlow and Imperial select for the discount on this vehicle). Because of this kind sponsorship we now have a dedicated feeding vehicle, which if we really need it can actually drive out on the road – most of our old vehicles were beyond being allowed on public roads.
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Ongoing Sponsorship
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Mr Hennie Bekker of Ssangyong – We cannot forget our sponsors who have stood by us for a period of time and thanks once again to Mr Hennie Bekker of Ssangyong (Byron’s godfather) for continuing to sponsor the Byron mobile for our education programme. As you will see, the vehicle looks stunning and this can be attributed to the fact that it is Byron’s face on the bonnet.
Sarah Miller and the team at Iams – We have to herald nearly two decades of food donations from Iams / Eukanuba. Every month, year after year we place our order and like clockwork we receive a call to say our order is ready for collection. This generous sponsorship keeps our cheetahs and wild dogs well fed and healthy.
Gary Page of Seremed - Veterinary expenses can sometimes add up and even though our Vet Dr Peter Caldwell gives us a really good price, with the amount of animals that we need to care for the account can still get quite large. We have to say a very big thank you to Gary Page for his contribution which definitely helps us to keep costs down in many areas. This is another ongoing sponsorship from Seremed who have supported us for a long time by donating very necessary supplies such as, bandages, syringes and many other surgical items.
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....and a special Thank you to
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The following vet clinics for their continued support:
Animals in Distress Crowthorne Vet Clinic Honey Dew Vet Clinic
Blue Hills Vet Clinic Clinic Fourways Vet Clinic Northrand Vet Clinic
Chartwell Vet Clinic Halfway House Vet Witbos Vet Clinic
As well as Golden Lay Chicken Farms and Mr Colin Holman of Rock Farms.
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Special Christmas Treats
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With Christmas just around the corner we are hoping that many of you are going to visit the Centre albeit for the third or tenth time. We need all your support and by going on tour you are assisting to keep us afloat. There will be normal tours given throughout December and January as well as special festive tours and these are:
Three hour guided game drives: Monday to Sunday – mornings at 8h30 except on run days
which are Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, the cheetah
run starts at 8h00
Afternoons - the tour starts at 13h30
Family Tours: We have an age limit of 6 years on our three hour guided
game drive. This December we will be presenting family
tours, independent of the normal 3 hour guided game
drive. The duration will be two hours and the cost R150 for
adults and children under the age of six R70,
babes in arms no charge. Bring the kids to learn about our
wildlife heritage.
Monday to Sunday – Mornings 8h30 and Afternoons 13h30
New Beginnings Coffee Shop: Monday to Friday enjoy something tasty from the menu in a
peaceful garden setting
Saturdays and Sundays – the coffee shop offers a delicious
carvery – this must be booked in advance
Christmas Day Special Join us for one of two special tours on Christmas day – this will be
The first year that we will open on Christmas. Enjoy a 3 hour game
drive and delicious Christmas Lunch at our coffee shop
‘New Beginnings’ Morning tour will start at 8h30 and lunch will be
served at 12h00 For the afternoon, lunch will be served at 12h00
followed by the tour at 13h30 – Adults R370 and children between
6 and 12 years of age will be admitted at half price. Regrettably no
children under six years of age
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LIFESAVING OPERATION FOR NOVA
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Thank you so much to those of you who have generously contributed towards our little Nova and his operation. He has recently had a visit to the vet and is doing very well. He will be re-assessed within the next two months and a date will then be set for the surgery. In the meantime, he is growing beautifully and the fact that he only has three legs does not stop him exploring and according to his caregiver Kim, ‘Nova has discovered how much fun it can be to chew his bandages off and then run around the camp with them in his mouth.’
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Happily ever after for Timone and Scratchy |
Amata (fondly known as Scratchy), our new surricate female, has come out of her shell, and is well on her way to learning how to be an extrovert like her male companion Timone. Their relationship seems to be flourishing, and they are often seen together. Amata can even be seen using one of their rocks as an armchair, sitting comfortably resting her back against the rock, sunning her tummy. Her favourite pastime is digging tunnels, but she also really enjoys the underground pipes that make up the manmade tunnel system. As Amata seems to be getting quite round at the moment, there are rumours that she may be pregnant. We will be sure to follow up on this in the next newsletter.
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Rastafarian cheetah…
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Retirement, when you are a Rastafarian cheetah…
We all dream of the perfect retirement, a house with a view, relaxing sunsets, meals on wheels and the opportunity of having the time to savour all the beauty of life. Our ageing cheetah Grumpy, a.k.a “Kalahari”, is living the perfect retirement on our farm. He is a sterling example of how well a cheetah can do in captivity, living way beyond the normal lifespan.
As a senior citizen, he spends his lazy days in a lovely camp above the animal hospital, and spends the majority of the day sleeping in the shade of a tree. Grumpy is a good name for him, as he does not always enjoy human company, and this also means that he is not the type of cheetah that can be regularly groomed. As a result, he has developed a truly unique hairstyle. He has amazing dreadlocks all around his neck, and you could quite easily picture him swaying his head from side to side in tune to great Reggae hits.
Sometimes one can’t help but think of a particular song when looking at some of the animals on the farm, so the next time you hear Buffalo Soldier, dreadlock rasta (Bob Marley), I hope it puts a smile on your face when you think of our Grumpy and his dreads!
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No Woman No Cry |
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Buffalo Soldier |
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Little big cat, big little cat...
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Many visitors to the centre have seen a cat they did not quite expect on a Cheetah farm, our domestic cat Lucy. She was a feral cat found on the farm, and after being sterilized and given a clean bill of health, she was destined to be our mouser, keeping down the rodent population around the hospital area. (Not that this has been too successful!)
She soon crept into everyone’s heart, and into more than a few food buckets, and has now become a very well loved, well covered cat (she is just big boned, not fat!). Lucy, the big little cat on the farm, has made many friends, including one of our special cheetahs. Scarlett is a very little cheetah, probably one of the smallest adults on the farm and lives quite near the hospital.
On many occasions Lucy and Scarlett can be seen lying near to each other on the fence line. Scarlett loves to chase Lucy if she wanders up hospital lane, and Lucy enjoys teasing Scarlett by trying to tap her nose through the fence, but they are close companions who often share the sunshine together, on separate sides of the fence.
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Snippets from the De Wildt Cheetah Lodge
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Warm greetings from the team at The Cheetah Lodge
Thank you to all the wonderful people that came from South Africa and all over the world to stay at the Lodge. We appreciate your support very much.
This challenging year went very fast and thank goodness for that.
The permanent staff at the Lodge, have improved their skills and are ready to offer an excellent service to our future guests.
Anne-Marie from our office is spreading her wings and joining the Team at De Wildt /Shingwedzi. Tanja Booyens will man our office from 01.12.09.
We wish everybody well over the festive period, and a blessed and prosperous 2010
We are offering a ”High Summer Special” on accommodation for December, January and February.
Please visit the lodge web page on The Ann van Dyk Cheetah Centre DEWILDT web site www.dewildt.co.za for all details.
High Summer Special
Rates valid from 1 December 2009 to 28 February 2010
Dinner, bed and breakfast
- Standard en-suite bedroom R650.00 per person sharing
- Standard en-suite bedroom R930.00 per single person
- King Cheetah Suite R750.00 per person sharing
- King Cheetah Suite R1030.00 per single person
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.....and from De Wildt/Shingwedzi
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The first blesbuck antelope babies have been born and the Impala and Zebra mares are heavily pregnant.
A very big thank you to Jasper and Heather Hulley who have given a R1000 donation for Nova, over and above a platinum adoption
Our donation box has been well supported and has enabled us to purchase the following items:
- Bandages, jelonet, cottonwool and paraffin gauze for Nova’s leg
- A scale – for weighing our babies
- Food and nutrition – kittymilk, nutrostrim and catnip
- Harnesses
- A heating pad
- Bowls and toys
Thank you to all those who have contributed.
For an affordable getaway into the heart of the bush, but only a mere two hours drive from Pretoria or Johannesburg please contact us for more details.
Tel: (014) 734 1735
E-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
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Wish List
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Fixing up of enclosures - Firstly, after many years of holding animals, our enclosures are in need of some revamping. Any donations will be most welcome to assist with this project.
Revamp of old vehicle for family tours – We have an old die hard vehicle which we would like to redo in cheetah spots and fun stuff to use for our family tours. One of the main things we will need is a set of new tyres as the existing ones are more than threadbare. The tyre size is 7.50 16 LT and we would need six of these. We will probably need to recover the seats as well.
Webcam for Internet learning - Here is a request that came in from a young boy in Russia via e-mail.
Dear ladies and gentleman,
> > My name is Igor Skvortsov.
> > I am 12 years old. I live in Moscow, in Russia. I like cheetahs very
much. Unfortunately, in Moscow they can be seen only in a zoo. Thanks your
website, I have learnt many interesting details about life and habits of my
favourite animal.
> > In my school I prepare a proyect in which I tell to my friends and
teachers about disastrous situation of cheetah in the world. However it's
very nice to know that in South Africa is your wonderful Centre of cheetah
which works and brings notable advantage.
> > I have read about your programs for school children. They are very
happy: pupils can observe a life of cheetahs and more deeply learn events of
their life.
> > Please tell me have you any opportunity to send by e-mail your
interactiv presentation of cheetah for pupils.
> > I would subscribe with pleasure for news and other on-line programs to
feel closer to people not indifferent to destiny of a cheetah. Your answer
will help me to prepare brighter performance for my friends.Maybe someone
from them in the future too also can becomes the defender of cheetahs.
> > Best regards,
> > Igor Skvortsov.
We would love to be able to do a full educational presentation for this young man, his friends and teachers via Skype and this would include them being able to view Byron. We do not have any of the equipment needed for Skype such as webcam etc.
Chest Deep Freezes for animal food – Once or twice a week we send our food collection vehicle around to certain chicken farms that allow us to collect any chickens that have had to be slaughtered - this is used to supplement our animal food requirements as meat is often in short supply. We need chest freezers to place at these farms which will enable us to collect once a week instead of twice as this will aid enormously in reducing our monthly fuel bill.
GPS for the Education Team - Our Outreach Education team travels far and wide to do the education presentations, very often not quite knowing where they are going. A GPS would be most welcome to ensure that they reach their destinations without too many U turns. Byron would really appreciate this too as he often looks at us through the back window as though to say ‘I can’t believe you are lost AGAIN!’
Sponsorship for a very special visit – We have had a request from Mr. Peter Diekmeyer whose freight company, in conjunction with Lufthansa, sponsors a children’s home near Lesedi Cultural Village. They would very much like to treat the children to a tour of the Centre and we are looking for a sponsor to help us make this happen for them. The cost will be in the region of about R1,000.
Many of the children have never seen a cheetah, wild dog, vulture or honey badger before and it would be so wonderful to be able to bring these children closer to their continent’s wildlife
Tools - With the wide variety of maintenance we have on the farm, there is always a need for tools, anything from spades, slashers and other garden equipment to hammers, screwdrivers and power tools.
‘15 litre’ Plastic buckets with lids - when it comes to food, we need to utilise everything that comes. In the past, we were unable to feed certain pieces, whether it be because of size, texture or whatever reason. However, through research and trial and error, we have realised that if these pieces, many of which are highly nutritious, are minced and placed in buckets, this allows us to stretch our food supply that much further.
Electricity for our farm labourers – The electricity supply to our farm workers houses has recently been suspended due to the fact that the original line runs across another property. We need to lay a new line and the total cost of this will be in the region of about R100 000.00 excluding the cable which will be needed. We will need in the approximately 500 metres of cable and although we were desperately hoping to have their electricity up and running before Christmas, but unfortunately because of the costs we are not going to make it. There is always hope for the new year.
There is still a host of other items needed and some of these include:
New tour vehicles
Paint for fences
Printing of brochures for the Centre
Printing of education booklets
2 Printers (As two of our printers have recently retired themselves)
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FROM THE ADOPTIONS DESK
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Another year has gone by in a flash and we would like to take this opportunity to thank you, our wonderful parents, for your generous support during this challenging time.
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NEW PARENTS
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On behalf of your wild children we would like to wish you warm season’s greetings and the very best for 2010.
Diamond Level
Roy & Dee Marcus, Daniel Speciale, Pauline Brookes, Angela McInnes, The Raunich Family, Tracey Scanlen, Etha & Chris Purnell, Roger & Jean Nesslage, Gamewize, Erika Kornder, Margarete Unite x2, Pamela Lessing & Judith Landau, Free2view Foundation x2, Giorgio Pagan, Alix Hinchliffe, Christian Wessels
Platinum Level
Gail Strickland, Kevin Foot, Tric Stone, Jeewa Family, Sama Primary School – Grade 5A & 5B 2009, Neil Claney, Anél Steyn, Martin van der Walt, Kimberly van Niekerk, Catherine Parry, Christopher Parry
Gold Level
Monika & André, Soné & Jens Kuhn, George Dowling, Ihlosi Travel, Bailey & James, Daphne Jonathans, Romanoff Jonathans, Danette Malan, Charles Kirmuss & Family, Karin Piovesan: In Memory of Tony Piovesan, Ray & Julia Rowland, Joan Clark & Wanda Viljoen, Iain J Haigh, Alan Cobb, Toyha Dixon, Varkevisser Family, David Filipi, Simon Collier, Pamela Lessing & Judith Landau, Kelcey & Lloyd Hung, Mumtaz & Sasima, Barbara Verster-Nowak, Moira & Henry Adams, Marais Family
Silver Level
The Lamont Family x2, Shaunequa & John Daniels, Tatjana Raunich, Richard, Kerry, Brandon &Tammy Hirst, Kaitlin Taylor, Marlene Huntsinger, Katrina Low, Susan Kreston, Loubser Family, Pierre and Dean, Christopher Fox, Lauren Fox, Luke & Dylan Kruger, Geir Bakke & Mona Tertnes, Julie Harmes, Michelle & Robyn Steele, Su Drzewicka, Gordon & Gillian Froneman, Sandi Robbins, Nicholas Mychaluk, Gina Simula, Gail Keeney, Tammy Holohan, Neema Bhoola, Ewan Suddick, Sarah Marietta, Bob & Lois Douglass, Beth Edge, Michael Everard, The Strange Family, Keegan Riddell, Michaela & Amy Allan
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RENEWALS
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Diamond Level
Hayden & Karen Goument, Da Vinci Holdings (Pty) Ltd, Jonathan Long & Marie Scarpa, Jessica Blunk, Henri Seriese, Dennis Faber, Ye Feng, Niels Vermunt, Erik Lear
Platinum Level
Christine Morel, Tanni & Al Graichen, Bob & Lyn Standen, Pieter & Thia van der Westhuizen x3, Bianca Pugin, Ingeborg Shea, Clive & Denise Kneale, Reto & Barbara Mathis
Gold Level
Noeleen Marmont, Sheiva Marie Nader, Reed, Dody, Paige, Kate & Mark Fisher, Nathalie Klaassen, Florida Hiking & Adventure Club, Siggy Drews x2, Mandy & Simon Yearsley, Hanne Højer Mayland
Silver Level
Simone Kopitzki, BSc (Hons) Zoo Biology, Dr. Sarah Broadberry, Nicola Galloway, Stephanie Germain, Courtney Minnaar, Jim Fenwick, Conrad & Rachel Haupt
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TAIL END
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A complaint from our Egyptian Vultures
All you people ever worry about about is bad hair days! What about BAD FEATHER DAYS!!! After all this rain I don’t know what to do!
As the year draws to an end the staff, cheetahs and all the animals, of The Ann van Dyk Cheetah Centre would like to take this opportunity to thank each and everyone who has supported us over the past year and we look forward to your continued support in 2010.
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CONTACT DETAILS
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The Ann van Dyk Cheetah Centre
(Trading as: The De Wildt Cheetah Centre)
Tel: (012) 504 9906/7/8
Cell: 083 892 0515
083 675 5668
Website:
E-mail:
Reservations: Admin/Office: Adoptions:
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
The Cheetah Lodge:
Tel: (012) 504 2077
Cell: 079 266 2716
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
10 September 2009
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Wild Tales
Newsletter The Ann van Dyk Cheetah Centre September 2009 |
Dear Friends,
It is with great relief that we welcome some warm spring sunshine following a very cold winter.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank you all so much for your patience and loyal support during the many changes of the past few months.
We sincerely hope that you will enjoy the new format newsletter.
Ann van Dyk
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NEW CRIBS FOR OUR VULTURES |
For fifteen years the main vulture camp at De Wildt has been a focal point on the main tour for all bird lovers. Each tour group was granted the opportunity to view Cape Griffon, Lappet-Faced, African White Backed and Egyptian vultures.
However, after many years of service to the public, the cages were in desperate need of repair. Fortunately many friends and supporters of De Wildt were willing to assist. They agreed to sponsor the renovation of the main vulture camp.
And so the work began. First of all, the vultures needed to be moved to temporary holding cages. This was made possible thanks to the willing assistance of the volunteers of the Wild at Heart Programme. These volunteers and staff from De Wildt were able to catch and transport thirty nine different vultures under the watchful eye of Dr Peter Caldwell, who gave each bird a thorough medical check up. This included twenty seven Cape Griffons, three Lappets, seven White-backed and two Egyptian vultures. Each bird was caught by hand, loaded into transport boxes and taken to its temporary holding cage. This was exhausting work.
Once the birds were moved, the real work could begin. The old wire has been stripped from the main cage and all the poles repainted. Then new wire has been attached to the refurbished poles to complete the renovations. All the cages are being tidied up and made ready for the return of the birds.
Once this work is complete it will be time for the lucky birds to see their new home for the first time. The volunteers and staff will once again have to catch and transport the birds back to their newly refurbished ‘crib’. This will cause a lot of excitement.
When the vultures are well settled into their stylish new home, they will be back on display to all visitors to De Wildt.
Both the staff and the birds are very grateful to all who donated towards this mammoth project.
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GREAT NEWS FOR WILD DOGS |
The Centre was recently approached by KZN Wildlife Conservation, who needed four male African wild dogs to bond with an existing pack of females in the Mkuze National Park. We earmarked four healthy 3 -4 year old captive born dogs and our veterinarian, Dr Peter Caldwell gave them a full medical check up and made sure that all their vaccinations were up to date.
Then early one crisp and cold winter morning, the crew arrived from Mkuze National Park to load and transport the dogs to KZN. The dogs were easily crated, without any need for sedation, and once in their boxes settled down for the long trip to their new wild home. They arrived safely and we have just received news on their progress.
Brendan Whittington-Jones reports that the dogs are doing well but are still in their holding boma, whilst a group of compatible females are organised. They are adapting well to the longer grass and to being fed carcasses. They were originally quite perturbed by the vultures dropping in on “their” meals, but seem to have become used to this now, and are looking relaxed and healthy.
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LIFESAVING OPERATION FOR NOVA |
Unfortunately, three month old cub ‘Nova’, has to undergo an operation on his left hind leg. Due to an injury at birth, the lower part of his leg has to be removed at the knee.
Dr Peter Caldwell, will perform the operation. Although he has cut costs dramatically, we are still short of approximately R10,000 and we would greatly appreciate any donations towards this very important surgery.
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TIMONE’S NEW FRIEND |
Timone, our friendly meerkat, has waited patiently for some time as we tried to find him a new partner. His previous lady sadly passed away, leaving him feeling a little lonely at times.
Timone’s new lady, Scratchy, is not as brave as him, and is also a little more streamlined and fit. (Timone is just well covered, of course, not fat) She spends quite a lot of time in the tunnel system in their enclosure. When it is very quiet on the farm, the two can be seen in the characteristic pose, on their hind quarters, soaking up some warmth from the sun on their bellies, while constantly looking around to make sure they are safe.
We are almost as happy as Timone to have a new addition to our family, and trust that Timone will take good care of her.
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PHEROMONES AND AGGRESSION IN AFRICAN WILD DOGS |
Animals do not only use vocalizations and visible cues to communicate. They also communicate via chemical cues, like pheromones. Through secretion and perception of pheromones the animals influence each others behaviour. Pheromones are produced at several specific regions of the animals body and have different functions. For example, inducing sexual arousal, alarm marking, territorial marking, marking of familiar objects or relatives, and the appeasement of newborn animals.
Over the past decade scientists have realised the potential of the application of pheromones in solving behavioural problems in animals. Nowadays, several artificial pheromone preparations are available for companion animals to solve behavioural problems such as fear, stress and aggression.
Aggression is on of the main behavioural problems seen in captive African wild dog packs. This aggression is probably a result of social stress. Application of artificial pheromones could also be an effective method of reducing aggression and stress in captive held African wild dogs. A research project is currently underway to evaluate the effect of these artificial pheromones on stress levels and aggressive behaviour in wild dogs.
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WILD DOGS JET TO LUSAKA |
The Munda Wanga Wildlife Sanctuary and Botanical Garden in Lusaka, requested that we consider donating a pack of six African wild dogs to their institution. This is an educational facility, and although the dogs will not be released into a wild situation, they are to be housed in a very large and natural enclosure.
The Centre agreed to send six yearling dogs and Munda Wanga arranged their flights and crates. Permits were applied for, crates were ordered and made, and the whole process began. Six months later, permits, crates and air tickets were all sorted out and we were informed that the dogs needed to be at the airport by 07h00 on the morning of departure.
Secure in their crates, they were loaded onto the plane and arrived safely in Lusaka. The next morning, they were seen exploring their new enclosure and were treated to a healthy breakfast of venison.
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ROY AND DEE A YEAR LATER AND DOING WELL |
Images of these two cubs, shocked many readers last year, therefore we are pleased to deliver a positive update on these special babies. At approximately six months old they were strong enough to begin learning to become ambassadors, and they recently celebrated their first birthday.
Dee is certainly the naughtiest of the pair, and only time will tell if she will outgrow her mischievous behaviour. Roy however is a much calmer cub, and seems to have the right temperament to become an ambassador when he matures.
For now they just have fun tearing around in their camp, and look like promising runners down at the run course too. They are very special youngsters that can always put a smile on your face, and we hope that they will continue to improve as young ambassadors that will educate and entertain many of our visitors.
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FROM THE ADOPTIONS DESK |
A warm wild welcome to all of our new adoptive parents and our grateful thanks to all those who have stood by us in these rather unsettled times.
Everything continues to go extremely well on the adoptions front. Please note that we have made some changes to the structure of the adoption programme due to escalating postage and administrative costs. The Silver Level adoption will now be an e-mail adoption. What this means, is that a covering letter, certificate and photograph will be emailed to our silver level parents, rather than be sent by post. These changes ensure that the programme remains accessible to everybody but also that our wild children benefit fully from your generous donations.
On another note, we have had an amazing breeding season this year, with a total of eight litters of cubs, between the De Wildt Centre and Shingwedzi. I am happy to announce that the parents of Naledi, Shakira, Umbhobe, Lisa, Ukuthula, Ilanga, Cetane (Peaches) and Tlala, are now grandparents! As always, know we could not achieve this without your staunch and loyal support.
Thank you all so much.
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NEW PARENTS |
Diamond Level
Judith Vinton x2, Caitlyn Jean Cook, Julia Kinsman x2, Farrar Kinsman x2, Darryl Wright, Henriette and Andre, Dominique Jacquet, Lumic Property Consultants (Pty) Ltd, Helen Carter, Sharyn Williams x2, Lorraine and Cheryl Barr, Hugo and Lucille Gouws, Cédric Etienne
Platinum Level
Alan and Rene Dike, Hanlie Steynberg, Linda van Dam, Mary Murphy, Gilla Kaplan, Nicholas André Burger, Cassandra Heystek, Petro Steyn, Diane Dennison, Sama Primary School: Grade 6B, Cédric Etienne, Sheila Barradas, Jasper and Heather Hulley
Gold Level
Deon Kelbrick, HR Indaba 2009 x3, Teresa Taljaard, Kirstie Cusens, Robyn and Brian Learmonth, Linda van Dam, Jake and Ione Haggarty, Daniel Hughes, Lewis May, Cameron May, Sharon and Heiko Siemers, Caterina Pietrobon, Lifeskill Solutions Ltd, Karien Tolmie, The Seunke Family, Addie and Ellie Essman, Pam and Carly McMaster, Laerskool Vissershoek x4: In Memory of Marissa, Miranda, Estelle and Lynette, Jane and Dino Zolezzi, Petro Steyn, Jurie Weidemann, Alex Davey, Kelly and Chris Gasper x2, Debora Santi, Claudia and Fabio Orsina, Altan O Zeki, Martine Bijvank, Serra Dincerler, Bailey and James, Cariad and Wesley McAslin
Silver Level
Claire Robinson and Phil Rogan, Charmaine Laubscher, Susan Elizabeth Witty, Michelle Gouws, Leah Cone, Bianca Jade Gomes, Carina van der Merwe, Annette Roos, Fran Brixius, Andrew Mayes, The Verve Team, Colin and Kim Campbell, Ulandi Holtshausen, Eunice Henrico, Roy Saunt, Sam and Micki Daniel, Emil and Rebecca de Haas, Kimberleigh Warriner, Tanya Dennis, Roger and Glynis Jones, Alicia Ledger, Joseph Ledger, Bryce Macaulay, Marc Horn, Zaheeda Miya, Kyla van Zyl, Rijn van Zyl, Joanne Roberts, CJ Montgomery, Liz-Mari Montgomery, Lané Venter, Emma Ventr, Liv Anne Myrvold, Chené Beukes, Elize Barnard, Chyresse Beukes, Mark and Miriam McIntosh, Shaun McMaster, Carol and Dirk Visser, Barend and Janice van Schalkwyk, Victoria Black, Gazelle and Azilda Avenant, Rachel and Emily Stevenson, Tara Plante, Nadine Brand x2, Mr and Mrs Hanspeter, Heidi Brand-Eggler, Samantha Snodgrass, Rasmus, Jasper and Sandra, Anita and Kurt, Fiona and Robert Tait, maria Kristensen, Tommy and Sophie Kelly, Olivia and Celeste Staples, Sanne Hentze Sorensen, Vibeke Hentze Sorensen, Line Hentze Sorensen, Hazel and Karl Trittner, Angela Bianco, Jaqualine Pelser, Mercia van Tonder, Serge Stahl, Aliénor Auby, Yu Yu, The Chandler Family, Vĕra Hrnečkova and Roman Neśetril, Hana Novăkovă, Alan and Jeanette Henochsberg, Olivia and Dylan Anderson, Howley Family, Zulieka Booth, Laverne Hyman, Luigi Madini, Cinzia Balzaretti, Natalina Madini, Pinuccia Balzaretti, Rosemary Finnerty, Ben Cawley, Gloria Moratelli, Cai Schaap, Christian Schaap, Kian and Kara Barnard, Ahmet Turgut, Pierre and Dean, Roelof and Maréze Lategan, Zandré Pelser, Soutpansberg CUO LTT, Heidi Allen, Sofie and Nico Peralta Urquiza, Timothy Larkin
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RENEWALS |
Diamond Level
Bettina and Johannes Seibel, Patricia Myson, Heinz Ritter, Steve and Andrea Auld, Aletta Mulder, Ulrich Wagner, Sara Hornby-Anderson, Debra Mallory, Gilla Kaplan x2, Roberta Cassol and Hein Snyman, Paul and Riana Naven, Stef and Irene Stevense, Trudie Wessels, Mary Beth Ottum x2, The IQ Business Group
Platinum Level
Bettina and Johannes Seibel, Thia and Pieter van der Westhuizen x3, Ellen van den Assem, Mick Grewar, Helen and Kevin Summers, Jennifer Bisher, Janet, John and Samantha Erasmus, Jenny Taylor, Julie Kapsalis, Edwin and Sandra Teepe, Olli Teirilä and Alison Buttigieg, André and Christine Cronjé, Diane Dennison, Nicola Bulich x2
Gold Level
John and Elizabeth Wold, Ulrich Wagner, Mara and Deon, Nicholas Smith, David Michielson, Meggan Liebenberg, Dr. C. Sevenster, Dave and Maureen Stow, Flo Smith, The Luther Family, Rosemary Adcock and Enid Medew
Silver Level
Jonas Hovda, Malin Linnea Hovda, Christie Pocock, Rainer Thieme, Carole Allen, Susan Mogg, Tim, Farrah and Kerry Stanley, Jun and Wen, Katie Burbidge, Clarissa Combrinkck x2, Tighe Maxwell-Whitely, Laverne Hyman, Karen Lishman
TAIL END
It is with great pleasure that we are able to announce that a new vulture chick hatched during the last week of August and is doing very well.
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CONTACT DETAILS |
Tel: (012) 504 9906/7/8
Cell: 083 892 0515
083 675 5668
Website:
Reservations:
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Adoptions:
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Admin/Office:
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
______________________________________________________________________
14 July 2009
Update on Cheetah Cubs
We are very happy to announce that we have 20 cubs this season, of which 4 are kings.
Currently three of these cubs are at Cheetah Outreach in the Cape, for raising, and they will soon be joined by three more cubs from the Centre.
Cheetahs in the wild will normally give birth to litters of 2-5 cubs, and in a wild situation only approximately 40% of cubs born will survive. In captivity the survival rate is a lot higher, thus putting pressure on the mother as the cubs grow. In order to assist the mother, we would generally need to remove some of the cubs from the larger litters, and it is these that are raised at Cheetah Outreach.
The photographs shown here are of the three cubs at Cheetah Outreach, and they have been named, Felix, Garfield and Heathcliff.
