Yvonne Schalscha and Cheetah
Yvonne ( our leisure specialist) at the De Wildt Cheetah Center, South Africa, this is a must see in South Africa especially for environmentalist, the adventure traveler and young children find it fascinating. The cheetah is built for speed. Although fast, the cheetah, a magnificent, graceful animal cannot run at full speed for long distances.
At the foot of the Magaliesberg – near the Hartbeespoort Dam – lies the renowned De Wildt Cheetah and Wildlife Center, a research and breeding reserve for cheetahs, wild dogs and other endangered species. The center was founded in 1971 with the aim of breeding endangered species, through the private initiative of the conservationist Ann van Dyk on her 65 hectare farm. Before this center was founded the population of the cheetah was estimated at a mere 700 animals, and until then nobody had succeeded in breeding them in captivity.
After intensive research with the co-operation of several well-known zoologists and zoo directors, in 1975 a breakthrough could be celebrated: five cheetah cubs were born on De Wildt and then raised successfully and by 1986 the cheetah could be taken off the list of endangered species.
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