Скачать с ютуб A Historic Homecoming: South Africa Welcomes Back Cheetah from Australia в хорошем качестве

A Historic Homecoming: South Africa Welcomes Back Cheetah from Australia

The Sydney-based Wild Cat Conservation Centre has set a precedent in Australia by successfully reintroducing a cheetah born in captivity back to its ancestral home in the wilds of South Africa. Edie has undergone a phased return to the wild, with plans carefully laid to ensure success. She began her preparations at the Wild Cat Conservation Centre, undergoing fitness development, changes to her diet, and was given help to hone her predatory skills. Once on African soil, she began her second phase, adjusting to changes in climate and prey, transferring to various sized bomas at each new milestone. This phased rewilding allowed for Edie’s wild instincts to sharpen, improve her hunting skills to bring down predator-aware prey animals and develop her vigilance to co-exist with competing predators. Wild Cat Conservation Centre Founder, Ben Britton, says “This is the culmination of 8 years of hard work and dedication. Since the inception of the centre eight years ago, our goal has always been to return cats back to the wild. The cheetah we originally brought to Australia were DNA tested to ensure not only were they as varied as possible, though that their genetics were also suitable for any progeny to return to Africa. With our insurance population here in Australia helping to safeguard the long term future of Africa’s remaining cheetah population.” “The birth of Edie, and her brother Dakari, in September last year was a key moment for the program. Not only were they the first cheetah to ever be bred in Sydney though we knew then we had the opportunity to use their crucial genetic make up for long term species longevity” he continued. Reintroduction to the wild is a significant milestone, and one that has been dreamt of since the inception of the Wild Cat Conservation Centre 8 years ago. The design of the centre in Wilberforce was always with the intention of rewilding cats. The inclusion of the savanna, which is the largest cheetah habitat in Australia, limited public visitation, mother raised cubs, has all been with the sole intention of participation in an international rewilding program. The rewilding of Edie would not have been possible without the support and partnership of WeWild Africa, The Metapopulation Initiative and Mziki Private Game Reserve. WeWild Africa is a key partner in the cheetah metapopulation project, providing vital funding and assistance in the post-release tracking and monitoring of Edie. Edie has been fitted with a satellite collar so she can be monitored 24/7 by the conservation team. Dereck Milburn is the WeWild Africa Project Director and has been involved in wildlife conservation in Africa for over 20 years. “The cheetah from Australia is the first cheetah ever brought back from Australia and that in itself is a historic occasion and a monumental achievement. And as an organization we're very proud to be associated with the process. The Wild Cat Conservation Centre in Australia has been relentless in the pursuit of getting this cheetah back to Africa and without organizations like the Wild Cat Conservation Centre, these projects simply wouldn't happen.” “From a genetic point of view, it's critical. These projects are critical and it's proving that it is possible.” Cheetah Metapopulation Project Manager, Don de Swardt said of the project “Captive cheetahs possess alleles that are not represented in the free-ranging cheetah population. For this reason, cheetahs such as Edie become vital additions to the metapopulation as a source of unrelated genetics”. Edie has been released into Mziki Private Game Reserve in South Africa where she will participate in the wider Cheetah Metapopulation Project. Philip Pallamar, Director of Mziki “It's quite a surreal moment because it's been in the works for quite a few years and to see our first predator on the reserve and that being the cheetah and especially Edie is absolutely surreal and amazing.” The hope is that Edie will be the first of a number of cheetahs that the Wild Cat Conservation Centre in Sydney can return to Africa and help bolster conservation efforts for the species. WeWild Africa: Founded in 2019 by veteran conservation experts with decades of experience in wildlife conservation in Africa. Having worked in some of the most challenging places and situations in the world, WeWild Africa engages with a diverse range of stakeholders, bridging the gap and providing essential skills, capacity, and resources to partners in conservation in need – putting the wellbeing of animals first, always. Since 2019, the organization has directly impacted over 1000 animals through rescue or rewilding. WeWild Africa is on the forefront of rewilding captive cheetahs and has implemented numerous successful global and national releases. Visit https://wewildafrica.com/a-historic-h... to learn more.