THE AFRICAT FOUNDATION

The Africat Foundation, a non-profit organisation registered as a charity, was started in 1992 as an animal welfare and conservation organisation. The foundation has about 500 hectares, which are fenced off into enclosures where they keep over 70 cheetahs as well as smaller numbers of lions, leopards and caracals. Africat started as a rescue service for leopards and cheetahs but now handles all six of the large carnivore species as well as the smaller species.

The most important work of the Foundation is the rescue, release, and relocation of the animals. During the first 13 years of their existence, they rescued over 800 cheetahs and leopards, of which only 15% could not be released back into the wild. Non-release is due to the fact that some of the young have to be hand-fed, or the older adults are to badly hurt, or have been imprinted by humans and would not be able to hunt and/or would a danger to domestic stock, as they would have no fear of humans. When an injured animal is ready for release into the wild, a micro-chip is inserted into its neck so that its movements and habits can be tracked.

The second aspect of the foundation’s work is the educational arm, which was started in 1998 and reached over 20,000 children during the first seven years of its existence. The children attend programme that have the aim of reaching farmers and decision-makers of the future, so ensuring the safety of carnivores on commercial and communal lands.

The third arm of the foundation is the welfare programme, which cares for orphans and injured or unwanted animals. Unfortunately wild animals are taken as pets and, when they become adults, the owners find that the animals are difficult to handle, can easily hurt the owners or their children, and cost a lot of money to feed and house. Africat takes these animals when they are no longer wanted. Unfortunately they cannot be released into the wild as they have imprinted by humans.

Cruel trapping is another reason for this welfare program. The animals caught in traps are usually so badly hurt that they have to be killed, while those that can be healed cannot hunt for themselves and would die if released. Once again, the problem with hand-raising is that the animals become imprinted with their care-givers and cannot be released into the wild.

Africat does not breed any of its animals and uses contraceptives when a male and female have to be housed together. The animals are well housed and are given a balanced diet, while sick animals are cared for by a vet.

Okinjima, which is on the Africat Foundation’s grounds, is a tourist lodge. While staying at the lodge one can visit the foundation and view the various activities that involve the animals.

For more information about work to protect big cats in Namibia, click here to read about the Cheetah Conservation Fund. For another conservation success story, click on the page Communal Conservancies in Namibia.

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