One Woman’s Quest to Save the African Cheetahs

Saving the African Cheetahs

One hundred years ago, there were more than 100,000 cheetahs in the wild.  Today, 90% of them are gone.  But one woman is helping to save the African Cheetahs through her tireless efforts – one magnificent cat at a time.

The founder of the Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF), Laurie Marker, cares for dozens of cheetahs on a ranch in Namibia, Africa.  Her passion for the wild cats took her across the globe from her home state of California 19 years ago.  Dr. Marker has become a cheetah expert during this time and a significant advocate for the fastest land mammal on earth.

With this amazing cat on the brink of extinction, the Cheetah Conservation Fund (www.cheetah.org) has made strides to stop farmers from killing the animals when they threaten herds.  Specially trained dogs help protect sheep and cattle so that lethal force does not need to be used.  The CCF also works with government, businesses and communities to educate people with respect to co-habitation with cheetahs.

The Cheetah Conservation Fund is helping save the African cheetahs

Dr. Marker was awarded the 2009 Lifetime Achievement Award for Conservation at the International Wildlife Film Festival in Montana this year.  At the award ceremony, she noted that cheetahs would be extinct within 20 years, without intervention efforts like the ones implemented by the CCF.  Marker also discussed how the programs in Namibia (particularly working with local farmers, government, businesses, and the community) have helped humans and cheetahs share the land and resulted in a stabilized cheetah population!

I can hardly imagine a world without cheetahs!  But the promise of Dr. Marker’s efforts is encouraging, as is the support of many people – just like you – who donate to the Cheetah Conservation Fund, become a member, or even “adopt” a cheetah.

What else can you do to help save the African Cheetahs?  Here’s what the official website says:

“The world’s fastest land animal, the cheetah, is a unique and the most specialized member of the cat family and can reach speeds of 70 mph. It is also the most endangered cat in Africa. Join Dr. Laurie Marker on a video journey through the history of the Cheetah Conservation Fund and the plight of the cheetah for survival. Witness a fabulous cheetah release, learn about the Livestock Guarding Programme or about tracking cheetahs in the wild, and hear Laurie as she shares her thoughts and hopes about the cheetah’s future.”

For daily, up-to-date information, you can follow the fund (user name CCFUSA) on Twitter, or catch up on the CCFUSA blog.

Need a few more reasons to save the African Cheetahs?

How about these beautiful cheetah photos?