Endangered Wildlife Projects
Visit some of the centres where endangered wildlife are being cared for.
Breeding Project Tour
A visit to the Cheetah Research and Breeding Centre in Hoedspruit, approximately 150 kms from Cybele, will increase your awareness of the fragile balance of the cheetah population. They feature on the World Wildlife Fund’s list of endangered species. The tour will also allow you the opportunity to view African Dog, Ground Hornbills and many other rare and endangered species in their natural habitat.
Fast Fact: Wild dogs can’t kill animals in the same way as the big cats. Their front legs aren’t as strong and their claws are blunt as they don’t retract like on a cat. Therefore they can’t grab an animal to deliver a killer bite in the neck. Instead dogs tend to chase their victim to exhaustion when they can kill them more easily. With smaller prey they will grab it and vigorously shake it side to side, usually breaking the animal’s neck or back.
Once a common animal found on five continents, the cheetah is now an Endangered Species. The number of cheetahs has decreased from 100,000 at end of the 19th century to approximately 10,000 today. In addition to its own loss of genetic variation, the main threats facing the cheetah today are loss of habitat, a reduction in its prey base, conflicts with livestock farming, and a reduced ability to survive in parks and reserves due to the presence of larger predators. Yet, despite all these problems, the cheetah is the oldest of the big cats, and has survived the longest. If we can provide a habitat and a rich prey-base for cheetahs on the livestock farmlands of southern Africa, the cheetah’s race will be one of survival, not extinction. Only the “human animal” can save the cheetah from extinction.
The Jane Goodall Chimpanzee Eden
Visitors will have a unique opportunity to see Chimpanzees in semi-wild surroundings with normal social interaction and behavioral patterns under group members. The Chimpanzee groups live within large enclosures that are close to their natural habitat. The enclosures also have viewpoints overlooking the forest and ‘foraging areas’.
The goal of the Jane Goodall Chimpanzee Sanctuary is to rescue some of the Chimpanzees that have survived the hunting ordeal but are still misplaced through the lucrative illegal pet trade to zoos, circus performers and medical research facilities. Besides being provided with a home to live out their lives they are also provided with the necessary attention to recover from the trauma that they have experienced.
Read more about Jane Goodall here. Visit the Jane Goodall Chimpanzee Eden website here.
Breeding Project and Moholoholo Rehabilitation Centre Tour
A visit to the Cheetah Research and Breeding Centre in Hoedspruit, approximately 150 kms from Cybele, will increase your awareness of the fragile balance of the cheetah population. They feature on the World Wildlife Fund’s list of endangered species. The tour will also allow you the opportunity to view African Dog, Ground Hornbills and many other rare and endangered species in their natural habitat. Enjoy a delicious picnic lunch served with ice-cold refreshments. Visit the largest animal rehabilitation centre in South Africa and see and get close to animals such as lion, leopard, serval, honey badger, eagles, owls and baby animals – or have a vulture on your head! Here you can witness the caring of poisoned, injured and abandoned wild animals.
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