VOLUNTEER GUIDE
NAMIBIA
May 2012
Cheetah Conservation Fund
P.O. Box 1755
Otjiwarongo
Phone: 067 306225
Fax: 067 306247
E-mail: cheetah@iway.na
Table of Contents
Welcome Message ........................................................................................................................................ 5
Orientation .................................................................................................................................................... 6
Working Conditions ...................................................................................................................................... 6
Task Assignment and Leadership .............................................................................................................. 7
Administrative tasks.................................................................................................................................. 7
Cheetah and other animal care ................................................................................................................ 8
Biological and clinical work ....................................................................................................................... 9
Ecosystem research ................................................................................................................................ 10
Education programme ............................................................................................................................ 11
Livestock Guardian Dogs (LSGD) ............................................................................................................. 12
Daily Schedule and (Vacation) Leave ...................................................................................................... 13
Facilities ...................................................................................................................................................... 14
CCF Farm and Surroundings .................................................................................................................... 14
Accommodation ...................................................................................................................................... 15
Laptops and other Valuables .................................................................................................................. 15
Water, Laundry and Electricity................................................................................................................ 16
Internet, Telephones & Mail ................................................................................................................... 17
TV, DVDs and other Entertainment ........................................................................................................ 18
Food and the Kitchen .............................................................................................................................. 18
Transportation ........................................................................................................................................ 19
Weather, Climate and Field Conditions ...................................................................................................... 19
Cultural Guidelines ...................................................................................................................................... 20
Preparing For Your Trip ............................................................................................................................... 21
2
Cheetah Conservation Fund’s Volunteer Guide
Travelling to CCF ..................................................................................................................................... 21
Staying in Windhoek ............................................................................................................................... 22
Staying in Otjiwarongo ............................................................................................................................ 24
Working Visa ........................................................................................................................................... 24
Baggage ................................................................................................................................................... 25
Carrying Items for CCF ............................................................................................................................ 25
Travel Insurance ...................................................................................................................................... 26
Money ..................................................................................................................................................... 26
Health .......................................................................................................................................................... 26
General Health and First Aid ................................................................................................................... 26
Vaccinations and Immunisation.............................................................................................................. 27
HIV/AIDS.................................................................................................................................................. 27
Dress Code and Clothing ............................................................................................................................. 27
Items to Bring .............................................................................................................................................. 28
Before you Leave Checklist ......................................................................................................................... 29
Organisational Structure ............................................................................................................................. 29
Staff Profiles ............................................................................................................................................ 30
The History of the Cheetah Conservation Fund.......................................................................................... 34
Recent History of the Cheetah ................................................................................................................ 35
Cheetah Behaviour.................................................................................................................................. 35
Cheetahs and Human Conflict ................................................................................................................ 36
CCF Programmes ......................................................................................................................................... 37
Conservation ........................................................................................................................................... 37
Livestock and Farm Management Practices ........................................................................................... 37
International Cheetah Conservation....................................................................................................... 39
3
Cheetah Conservation Fund’s Volunteer Guide
Livestock Guarding Dogs ......................................................................................................................... 39
CCF Bush Pty Ltd ..................................................................................................................................... 40
Cheetah Country Beef ............................................................................................................................. 41
Eco-Tourism ............................................................................................................................................ 41
Research.................................................................................................................................................. 42
Health and Reproduction .................................................................................................................... 42
Ecosystem Research............................................................................................................................ 43
Cheetah Census Project ...................................................................................................................... 43
Outreach and Education ......................................................................................................................... 44
Farmers’ Training Courses ...................................................................................................................... 44
Education Programmes ........................................................................................................................... 45
International Outreach ........................................................................................................................... 45
Future Programmes ................................................................................................................................ 46
Conservancy Development ..................................................................................................................... 47
Rhino Custodian Programme .................................................................................................................. 47
Useful Resources ......................................................................................................................................... 48
Cheetah Conservation Fund.................................................................................................................... 48
Additional Reading Material ................................................................................................................... 48
Travel Guidebooks .................................................................................................................................. 49
Travel and Online Airline Booking Resources ......................................................................................... 49
Health Information ................................................................................................................................. 49
Other General Information ..................................................................................................................... 49
4
Cheetah Conservation Fund’s Volunteer Guide
Welcome Message
Dear Volunteer,
Welcome to the Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) and thank you for volunteering to spend your time
with us in Namibia to help save the wild cheetah. I really appreciate your commitment and contribution
to support our ongoing scientific research, conservation and education work. Since the Cheetah
Conservation Fund (CCF) was founded, volunteers have been the backbone of CCF’s programmes and
are fully part of the success in our efforts to save the endangered cheetah.
When you travel from your home to CCF, you are bringing far more than a pair of willing hands. The
fresh perspectives and enthusiasm of our volunteers is a constant reminder for us that our work may be
taking place in an isolated environment, but that others in the world are as committed as we are to
conserving these unique predators.
Our volunteers also serve as ambassadors for our local farming community – your very presence helps
show local farmers that the world is interested in the cheetah’s race for survival and shows that while
some may see cheetahs as a problem, others will travel thousands of kilometres to see these amazing
animals in the wild, bringing a much-needed boost to the Namibian economy that helps improve key
services such as medical and educational facilities. In this way, you help us achieve one of our key goals
to turn our local farmers into conservationists in their own right, while improving their livestock and
farm management skills. This is my passion; that cheetahs and humans can live together and prosper.
While working with us you will become part of the CCF team. I’m sure you will learn a lot about cheetahs
and bio-diversity and the challenges and opportunities that we face as conservationists. While it can be
hard work, I’ve always been able to turn back to our goal – to help cheetahs in their race for survival.
I hope that you enjoy the experience of being part of our team and helping the efforts to conserve the
cheetah. We’re really looking forward to meeting you.
Thank you very much for deciding to give CCF your support!
Yours sincerely
Laurie Marker, PhD
Founder and Executive Director
Cheetah Conservation Fund
5
Cheetah Conservation Fund’s Volunteer Guide
Orientation
Upon arrival at CCF, volunteers will be oriented about their daily tasks and work in which they will
participate. Orientation will include:
Signing of paperwork: Arrival Sheet, Liability Waiver, Rights & Responsibilities document
Several overviews: CCF and its activities, cheetah protocols and studies, ecosystem studies
and game counts, clinic and veterinary procedures, computer & library use, farmer outreach &
education, training and tour of the Education Centre, vehicle protocols and a tour of CCF’s facilities
Driving test (if you are allocated as a valid driver).
In addition, every room has a Volunteer Orientation Manual (if you cannot find yours please ask the
office for a copy). Please take the time on your first day at CCF to read this thoroughly, as it includes
information on your rights and responsibilities, standard operating procedures, cheetah safety protocols
(feeding and care), information about the captive cheetahs at CCF, cheetah pick-up and examination,
Education Centre operating procedures, game counts and tracking, telephone guidelines, and other
useful information such as a list of telephone numbers, a who’s who guide and maps of the farms and
walking trails.
Upon leaving CCF, you will be asked to complete a Departure Sheet and to settle your telephone bill and
any other outstanding expenses, hand over your keys, all but one of your t-shirts and any belongings you
wish to leave behind, and conduct a proper ‘hand-over’ debrief of your work. In addition, we hope that
you will stay in touch with us after you complete your stay. You can join our Volunteer Coalition and
continue to educate your friends, family and neighbours about CCF’s efforts.
For more information on this please visit:
Volunteer Alumni Group: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=4968952367
General CCF Group: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=4287799399
CCF Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Cheetah-Conservation-Fund-CCF/49365866081
CCF Blog: http://cheetahupdates.blogspot.com/
CCF on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/ccfcheetah
CCF Twitter: http://twitter.com/CCFUSA
You can also join a CCF chapter and help with fund raising efforts to continue to support our mission
back in your home town.
Working Conditions
A day at CCF is never typical. Volunteers will often be asked to work early, late or during weekends and
are expected to multitask and be flexible where needed. Much of the daily work can consist of computer
data entry and other administrative tasks, while other tasks can be downright ‘dirty’ and might include
clearing bush, handling meat, analysing scat, cleaning cheetah pens or similar tasks.
6
Cheetah Conservation Fund’s Volunteer Guide
Figure 1 CCF's Haas Veterinary Centre and Research Offices
Task Assignment and Leadership
When you first arrive, what you do will depend on the length of your stay and your qualifications,
experiences and skills. You will be assigned one or a number of specific tasks and will receive
appropriate training. You may be reporting to a staff member who will act as your task leader, or you
may become a project task leader yourself and be expected to guide other volunteers. Once
comfortable with their tasks, volunteers are expected to work on their own initiative, although they can
always consult their task leader whenever necessary.
CCF attempts to match tasks to a volunteer’s skills and experience. You are welcome to make
suggestions concerning where you feel you can be of most help, but please keep in mind that the
purpose of your stay is to support CCF’s operations which will often involve office or administrative
work. While this type of work may seem mundane or even boring to some, without it CCF could not be
successful in its mission of cheetah conservation, research and education. We try to ensure that you will
receive a balanced experience that will include cheetah work, but please be prepared to spend much of
your volunteer time in the office. All volunteers are expected to assist with administrative tasks.
The types of tasks volunteers might work on while at CCF can include the following activities.
Administrative tasks
CCF conducts extensive amounts of research. Record keeping and data entry that supports our research
is crucial and covers many areas including: biological and clinical data on cheetahs and other animals,
gathering and labelling of biological samples, veterinary records, dog breeding and placement,
ecosystem research, spoor tracking, game counts, camera trapping, hair snaring, photographic libraries
of all aspects of CCF operations, electronic and printed publications, inventory management, the
International Cheetah Studbook and an Anatolian Shepherd studbook, cheetah behavioural data, daily
animal care record keeping, the booking and provision of tours for day visitors and assisting with
educational groups; writing articles, newsletters, press releases, annual reports, editing of scientific and
other reports; hosting special events such as the annual fundraising gala or teacher/farmer workshops
and other training courses, 12-hour waterhole counts and the general day-to-day running of CCF.
7
Cheetah Conservation Fund’s Volunteer Guide
Figure 2 Volunteer sorting through camera trap photos
Cheetah and other animal care
Cheetah enclosures are located in several areas at CCF’s main farm ‘Elandsvreugde’ and there is a 64hectare enclosure at the Bellebeno farm, about a 45-minute drive from the main centre. Cheetah pens
are cleaned daily and cheetahs are fed every day except Sunday. Volunteers help staff to collect and
distribute meat, typically consisting of donkey or horse, and sometimes other types of meat such as
giraffe or other game. The feed can include heads and organs. CCF staff and volunteers do a visual
cheetah check on Sundays. At certain times of the year, CCF conducts hormone studies that require
specific feeding routines to mark each animal’s food, and the collection and processing of faecal
samples. A number of times each week, some of the resident non-releasable cheetahs are exercised in a
Cheetah Run. Volunteers may be asked to assist staff guiding day-visitors who observe these events.
Volunteers also assist with the care of the Anatolian Shepherd and Kangal livestock guardian dogs, feed
and care for puppies, goats, sheep, horses, and sometimes other farm animals such as chickens and
cattle. CCF vaccinates, de-worms, de-horns and brands its livestock. Animal care and farm work can be
extremely messy and dirty, so bring a few sets of clothes you don’t mind ruining. It is also useful to
bring a pair of gum boots/wellies along during the wet season as the kraal can become rather muddy.
8
Cheetah Conservation Fund’s Volunteer Guide
Figure 3 Volunteers assist with cheetah husbandry
Biological and clinical work
CCF conducts medical check-ups for all of its resident cheetahs several times a year. Veterinary care is
also provided to cheetahs, dogs, horses and goats as needed. CCF keeps extensive records on animal
health, and much of the clinical work involves data entry, record keeping and labelling. Health
examinations of resident cheetahs are conducted annually. In the event that CCF receives notification
about wild caught cheetahs, staff and volunteers may need to attend pick-ups from anywhere in
Namibia. Once at CCF a medical work up is conducted, and whenever possible the cheetahs are released
back into the wild. Biological samples are collected including blood, skin and stomach biopsies and
semen is collected where appropriate. Cheetahs are ear tagged and chipped, and occasionally radiocollared. After the procedure, many items need to be sterilised, cleaned, labelled and processed and the
cheetah may need to be monitored. Occasionally, cheetahs in very poor condition that may need to be
euthanized arrive at CCF. These cheetahs then undergo a full necropsy on-site.
9
Cheetah Conservation Fund’s Volunteer Guide
Figure 4 Intern reading cheetah scat hairs samples to determine their diet
Ecosystem research
CCF conducts several types of ecosystem research on animal population studies, disease trends,
reintroduction of species, vegetation diversity, ecology, bush encroachment and biomass energy
productivity, harvesting and re-growth, and biodiversity surveys. CCF regularly conducts various kinds of
population studies. The reason for doing so is to gain an understanding of the movement of game in the
area which is also the cheetah’s natural prey. These studies assess population sizes of animal species,
demographics, habitat preferences and trends over time. Some studies that are ongoing and have been
conducted in the past include:
Four monthly 2-hour strip counts conducted in the late afternoon and after dark
A 1-hour field count is done monthly on three consecutive days that involves three teams of
people driving through the field spotting animals
Remote camera census requires checking cameras every couple of days
Daily radio-tracking of our resident wild cheetah
Giraffe study on feeding ecology, activity patterns and habitat preferences (twice weekly during
study times)
12-hour waterhole and strip counts for the Waterberg Conservancy. This includes all CCF farms
and strip counts around the Waterberg Conservancy counting all species, determining
population size, drinking patterns, demographics and behaviour. Typically this takes place in July
and August and is coordinated by CCF, involving a large number of volunteers; at this time the
CCF facility gets extremely busy
Documentation of rabies outbreaks on CCF farms and the Waterberg Conservancy several times
per month to identify disease trends, time of year and species susceptibility
Track stations to develop cheetah population index, visitation rates and comparison with other
census techniques; typically during May-November every couple of days
Springbok behaviour study regarding their reintroduction to the Big Field
Hair/scat survey from cheetah play trees to conduct DNA studies, determine diet composition
and population size
10
Cheetah Conservation Fund’s Volunteer Guide
Fixed point photography to monitor changes over time of CCF farm habitat and harvested areas;
during March & November, three times a month
Biodiversity surveys of birds, reptiles and plants to determine species richness, diversity, ground
and canopy cover, once a week
Bush biomass studies and vegetation surveys to determine the productivity of different
harvesting methods, yields of biomass, and re-growth rates; also identification of current and
potential biomass users and areas of cooperation for energy consumption
Alien invasive plant species control
Weather monitoring.
Figure 5 Student undertaking ecological data analysis on camera trapping methods
Education programme
CCF provides learning opportunities at its Education Centre for schools, students, youths, teachers,
farmers and tourists. Volunteers may be asked to assist with these programmes. School and youth
groups may visit CCF for several days and follow programmes designed to demonstrate cheetah
physiology, ecology and environmental issues related to the cheetah’s survival. Environmental
education programmes are informative, hands-on and fun. The programme topics include the role of the
cheetah in the ecosystem, human-wildlife conflict issues, and predator-friendly livestock management.
There is also the ‘Predator Preyground’ play area at the Centre that provides an entertaining and
physically challenging opportunity for children to learn about the cheetah.
11
Cheetah Conservation Fund’s Volunteer Guide
Figure 6 Dr Laurie Marker with a group of school children learning about the cheetah
CCF Education Officers make regular school visits. Programmes can include video, slide or other
presentations; audience participation is encouraged through question and answer sessions. CCF also
produces and distributes materials for schools and has been in partnership with the government to
include predator conservation into curricula textbooks as well as conducting training workshops for
teachers and college students.
CCF is open daily from 9am-5pm except Christmas Day. Upon arrival day visitors receive a guided tour of
the Education Centre, other facilities and the resident cheetahs. Visitors can also observe cheetah
feeding (Monday-Friday at 2pm, Saturday and Sunday at noon). There is a small gift shop managed by
staff and volunteers which sells cool drinks and souvenirs next to a veranda/seating area overlooking the
Waterberg Plateau where people can rest and/or eat light lunches provided by the kitchen.
Activities can be pre-booked for interested groups which can include a cheetah run, cheetah safari,
game count on our large field or an exclusive encounter with one of our ambassador cheetahs and Dr.
Laurie Marker. These activities must be booked in advance for a fee.
Since most wild cheetahs in Namibia live on farmland, CCF conducts outreach and education to
commercial and communal farmers. Presentations are made at individual farms, farmer associations and
agricultural shows. CCF also hosts training courses for farmers and farm workers at the Centre.
Livestock Guardian Dogs (LSGD)
The LSGD programme includes raising and placing Turkish breeds of large dogs, Anatolian Shepherd and
Kangal puppies, and visiting farms where dogs have already been placed. Puppy litters are born several
times a year and stay at CCF until 8 weeks of age, at which time they are placed on farms as working
dogs.
12
Cheetah Conservation Fund’s Volunteer Guide
Figure 7 LSGD with goat herd
During follow-up visits CCF observes the dog’s behaviour and interaction with its flock. Records are
made of the dog’s progress and any problems with behaviour, livestock or predator interaction.
CCF may make suggestions to the farmer about management of his livestock and dog. These
observations aid in evaluating the effectiveness of the project and correcting any problems as they
occur. Dogs may return to CCF due to injury, ill health or have failed owners and are experiencing
problems (neglect, abuse, deviant behaviour). These dogs are placed with new owners if appropriate, or
else placed out as pets.
Daily Schedule and (Vacation) Leave
A daily schedule is posted in the office and outdoor dining hall, called “The Hot Spot” that lists the tasks
and projects to be worked on, task leaders and assigned volunteers. You will typically be required to
perform several tasks in a day and/or work on your own project. The schedule is not set in stone and can
be subject to change as circumstances alter during the day.
Your stay at CCF will be demanding with little free time available. Our working hours are from 8 am to 5
pm Monday to Friday and 8 am to 1 pm on Saturday. You may be required to put in longer hours during
the week and complete tasks on Sundays. Our Education Centre is open daily from 9 am to 5 pm, staff
and volunteers are needed to cover the centre during weekends. When events such the gala are due, or
wild cheetahs are caught, you may be required to work long hours and through weekends. In addition,
although cheetahs are not fed on Sundays, they are still checked individually for good health.
Long-term volunteers may take two days of vacation leave for every full month worked at CCF. All leave
must be applied for in advance (at least one week’s notice) and approved by your team leader and the
Executive Director. If you plan to take leave while at CCF you must ensure that this does not interfere
with (deadlines of) projects or tasks assigned to you and it is your responsibility to find other volunteers
to cover your tasks. If you want to take a longer vacation - for example, to have the opportunity to travel
through Namibia or surrounding countries - please arrange for these to take place before or after you
stay with CCF. The following schedule reflects a typical day at CCF:
7:00 – 8:00 am Breakfast
8:00 am Work begins (on tasks & projects)
1:00 – 2:00 pm Lunch
2:00 pm Work continues (on tasks & projects)
13
Cheetah Conservation Fund’s Volunteer Guide
7:00 pm Dinner (6:00 pm in winter)
All staff and volunteers prepare their own breakfast and are expected to clean their own dishes after
every meal. Please assist us all by keeping the kitchen and dining areas clean at all times. Lunch and
dinner are provided, with the exception of Sunday when a brunch will be provided at 11 am instead of
lunch. However, dinner is still at 7:00 pm on Sundays.
Facilities
CCF Farm and Surroundings
CCF operates on six farms, totalling 46,000 hectares (over 100,000 acres) and is a member of the
Waterberg Conservancy which covers an area of 200,000 hectares (490,000 acres). CCF’s Education and
Research Centre is situated on CCF’s main farm, called Elandsvreugde. This is also where most of the
staff and volunteers reside. There are three main buildings at the Centre: the Hilker Education Centre &
Cheetah Museum, the Visitor Centre, and the Haas Research Centre which houses the veterinary clinic
and research offices. Nearby are Dr. Marker’s house, dormitories, four two-person rondavels, and the
‘Hot Spot’ kitchen & dining room. Also close to the Centre are the farm workers’ houses, and
student/staff accommodation as well as a barn and goat pen. The Lightfoot Camp for youth groups and
volunteers is within walking distance.
The other CCF farms are Boskop, Osonanga (I and II), Bellebeno, Cheetah View and Janhelpman.
Boskop is about 8km (5 miles) from the main centre. Cheetah View is used for student groups when they
attend conservation biology courses at CCF. Osonanga rests against the base of the Waterberg Plateau
Park where CCF has a Wilderness Camp used by youth groups. Janhelpman is a livestock farm and
Bellebeno is a game farm with a 64-hectare cheetah enclosure used for ecotourism and cheetah
rehabilitation/monitoring.
Figure 8 Oryx on the Big Field
CCF’s main farm is about 44km (30 miles) from the town of Otjiwarongo via a dirt road. The town has
three supermarkets, several pharmacies and banks, as well as photography shops, liquor stores, and
various gift, souvenir and retail shops. Weekly trips are made to town, and volunteers can request items
be bought on their behalf. Occasionally you can request a trip into town but this must be approved in
advance by your team leader (at least two days’ notice).
Sometimes CCF vehicles make trips into the capital, Windhoek, which is about a 3.5 hour drive. Such
trips typically include visits to vet clinics, courier postal services, and any other place where items
related to CCF’s operational activities are bought. Shopping opportunities in Windhoek are more
extensive as there is a mall and a cinema. However, overnight stops are rare and volunteers are
expected to pay for their own lodging and transport to/from Windhoek.
14
Cheetah Conservation Fund’s Volunteer Guide
Accommodation
There are several types of accommodations in which volunteers stay. You will be allocated linen and
towels upon arrival. You are responsible for washing linen and towels and maintaining their good
condition.
Typically, short-term volunteers share a rondavel (bungalow) with someone of the same gender, and
roughly the same age group. Rondavels are furnished with beds, a wardrobe, small shelves and a sink.
Bathrooms and showers are a short walk from the rondavels, attached to the kitchen area, and are
unisex.
Figure 9 Rondavel accommodation
Other types of accommodations are dorm-style, in which up to four people share a room, either with an
en-suite bathroom/shower, or a shared bathroom/shower within a house. Some volunteers live on the
Boskop farm, which is 8km from the main centre, and has a main house with several rooms, a kitchen
area, as well as several dorms. Volunteers and staff that stay at Boskop are required to eat all meals at
the CCF Centre on the main farm (Elandsvreugde). Daily transport to and from Boskop will be arranged.
Accommodation is allocated based on length of volunteer stay and type of volunteer. You may be
required to move from one type of accommodation to another during your stay with CCF, depending on
circumstances. Please be aware that with communal living you will need to be flexible and respectful of
others around you. This means keeping noise to a minimum and tidying up after yourself. Music and
other loud noise should be stopped at 10pm.
Laptops and other Valuables
Many volunteers ask us if they should bring their laptop. CCF’s main centre has a number of computers
that are used for administrative work. These computers are networked, and each volunteer will be
allocated a password to log onto the network and an area in which all work should be stored. However,
since computer access can be limited, it may be useful to bring your laptop in order to complete your
work. In this case, volunteers MUST ensure that they back up their work on a daily basis.
15
Cheetah Conservation Fund’s Volunteer Guide
It may therefore be useful for you to bring a USB memory stick, flash drive, thumb drive or similar
storage device; CCF’s computers have USB ports only - there is no provision for firewire-based devices. If
you wish to bring your own laptop to CCF a USB-based storage device will likely be the easiest method
to transfer files to the network. CD writers are available for volunteers to back up their own files e.g.
photographs, videos taken; volunteers should provide their own blank discs.
All information, data and images shared or gathered during your stay at CCF becomes the intellectual
property of CCF and may not be used in any way for non-CCF purposes without prior written consent. If
you need or want to keep copies of your work (for school purposes, for example), you must obtain
consent in writing from CCF. However it is permissible to share photos, videos and stories of your
volunteer experiences with family, friends, local media and in a public forum. Sharing your perspectives
and experiences is welcomed and encouraged.
CCF cannot assume any responsibility for non-CCF supplied equipment breaking or malfunctioning. You
should ensure that your personal travel insurance covers any such eventualities. Please be aware that
Namibia is a dry, dusty country which can wreak havoc on electronic items. It’s helpful to bring a sleeve
or case where you can store your laptop to minimize exposure to dust, especially when travelling and
please also bring a laptop lock with you which can be used to lock your laptop to a table. These are very
inexpensive and might give you peace of mind in case you have to leave your laptop behind in your
accommodation or if you have to leave your desk while in working on your laptop.
Figure 10 Laptop lock
Volunteers should not bring valuables or expensive items to CCF. Theft is a constant concern in Namibia
and you should always lock up when you leave a building or a vehicle. Never leave valuables in sight.
Most rooms can be locked, but it’s better to lock your passport, camera, music player and other
precious belongings in your suitcase; make sure you have a lock on your baggage. CCF has a limited
number of lockers in the main office that can be allocated to volunteers upon request.
Water, Laundry and Electricity
There are several boreholes on CCF’s farms that supply water for drinking, showering and laundry. There
are two washing machines available next to the common room and a line for drying your clothes. The
water at CCF is potable, so there is no need to purchase bottled water. Namibia frequently has periods
of drought, so please take care not to waste water.
Electricity at CCF is supplied at 220 volts, 50Hz. Plugs are three-round prong and are the same as those
used in South Africa.
16
Cheetah Conservation Fund’s Volunteer Guide
Figure 11 Plug suitable for Namibia
You should ensure that you obtain the correct adaptor before you fly, however they can be purchased at
Johannesburg airport if you stop there on your way. Items that run on 110 volts cannot be used at CCF
without a suitable step up/down transformer or they will be damaged or destroyed.
The Centre has a generator that supplies all electricity and generated power is supplied from 7.30am to
10.30pm. Outside of these hours electricity is provided by banks storage batteries that drain quite
quickly.
There are very few outdoor lights on the farm, and outdoor areas can be almost totally dark when there
is no moon. It is important to bring a flashlight, torch or headlamp with you (with spare batteries) and to
use it at all times when in darkness.
Water at the dorms and rondavels is heated by solar panels and therefore hot water is limited. We ask
all volunteers to conserve water and electricity. Please keep your showers short and share laundry with
other volunteers so that the washing machine is full when run. Do not bring electricity-intensive items
such as hairdryers. Avoid leaving lights or other electrical items switched on unnecessarily as this is not
only expensive but bad for the environment too.
Internet, Telephones & Mail
CCF has several telephone lines that operate from the office. The quality is often poor and connection
problems are frequent especially in windy or rainy weather. Calls to and from CCF can involve several
attempts before a connection can be made. Upon arrival at CCF, you will be given a personal telephone
code at your request, which must be entered before calls can be made. Each call is logged to the code,
and costs of calls are tracked. Before you leave CCF, you must pay your telephone bill. International calls
made from Namibia typically cost about N$10 (US$1.45) per minute so please make sure you track the
amount of time you spend calling family and friends, as costs can add up quickly.
CCF has wireless and cable internet with variable quality. We do make a small provision for web
browsing, checking personal e-mails and instant messaging, but this must only be done after work hours
and preferably on your own laptop. If caught on Facebook, or doing any other non-work related internet
activity during working hours, your internet privileges will be revoked.
Regular postal/letter services in Namibia are unpredictable and in our experience mail and packages
tend to take a long time to arrive or get lost altogether, even if sent with a courier such as FedEx or DHL.
Letters can take anywhere from a few weeks to several months. FedEx or DHL packages can take
anywhere from a week to more than a month.
The contact details while you are at CCF are:
Telephone +264 67 306 225
Satellite Telephone +264 67 687 097
Fax +264 67 306 247
17
Cheetah Conservation Fund’s Volunteer Guide
E-mail ccfweb@iway.na
Post (letters, regular mail) Cheetah Conservation Fund
P.O. Box 1755
Otjiwarongo
Namibia
Express Post (FedEx, DHL or other packages) Cheetah Conservation Fund
c/o CCF Bush Pty Ltd
1603 Hatting Street
Otjiwarongo
Namibia
Tel: +264 67 304 806
TV, DVDs and other Entertainment
There is a common room in the middle of the dorms that has satellite TV and a DVD player. The DVD
player is formatted for all regions and we have a selection of DVDs available – several staff members
have a key to the DVD room. We always appreciate new DVDs so if you are interested in bringing some
with you, contact ccfinfo@iway.na for the most recent list of DVDs already at CCF.
There is also an informal library with fiction and non-fiction books that you are welcome to read. Our
staff is always pleased to receive new books or magazines for reading. However, please note that books
in our official library (at the office) for literature on conservation and veterinary procedures need to
remain in that library at all times. If you do wish to take a book out of the library for extenuating
circumstances, please ask Dr Laurie Marker if this is OK.
From time to time there will be opportunities to go on a game drive to view wildlife: eland, kudu,
hartebeest, gemsbok, duiker, steenbok, warthog, baboon, jackal, leopard, brown hyena, bat-eared
foxes, aardvark, aardwolf and many bird species. This is usually followed by watching the sunset from
the hide in the Big Field (Little Serengeti) or the tower near our centre. Volunteers may purchase their
own beverages for such events.
Several times a year, CCF staff and volunteers may attend an evening out in town to celebrate special
events or attend local festivals. It’s always a good idea to bring one semi-formal outfit and some spare
cash for such occasions.
Food and the Kitchen
Meals are eaten at an open-air dining pavilion called the ‘Hot Spot’. CCF has a full time cook for lunch
and dinner meals. In addition, staff and volunteers prepare their own breakfast, and must wash their
own dishes after every meal or when eating outside of formal meal times.
The menu is quite similar to western food (pastas, rice, meat, salads, and vegetables) and vegetarians
can be catered for; if you are a vegetarian, please inform the volunteer coordinator before you arrive
and the Kitchen Manager once you have arrived at CCF. Water is safe to drink from the tap. Tea, coffee,
hot chocolate and concentrated juices are provided. If you would like to drink sodas, fruit juice, or
alcohol, you will have to purchase these from town. Sodas and a small selection of snacks are also
available for purchase in our gift shop. A good time to buy food items is on your way to CCF from the
airport.
The excessive consumption of alcohol and its effects, i.e. hangovers on workdays, is not tolerated at CCF
or in public places while you are representing CCF. Drinking and driving is against Namibian law and CCF
policy and is strictly prohibited.
18
Cheetah Conservation Fund’s Volunteer Guide
Food shopping is done on Thursdays. If there are any particular items you would like to eat, you can
request these from the Kitchen Manager or the person going into town so that they can be added to the
shopping list. Similarly, if you would like to cook a meal or bake cakes or cookies, speak to the Kitchen
Manager.
Tea and coffee is also freely available in the office. If you would like fruit or a snack, you need to bring
these up from the kitchen with you.
On Sunday, brunch and dinner are provided, so you will be responsible for your own food if you want
anything more.
CCF does not cater for vegans, but salads and vegetables are a common part of meals and if you are
willing to pay for your own supplementary food, you can arranged for these to be bought for you during
the weekly town trips.
Transportation
All CCF vehicles may be used for official CCF purposes only. If you have a driver’s licence, please bring it
as you may be added to the list of approved drivers and relevant insurance policies. If you are added as
a driver, you will receive training on the vehicles and particulars of driving on the CCF farms and
surrounding areas. All CCF vehicles have manual gearboxes (stick-shift) and many are four-wheel drive.
CCF often makes long trips to visit schools, farmers, events or to pick up wild cheetahs. Volunteers may
be allocated to accompany staff members on these trips. If you would like to visit tourist attractions
such as Etosha National Park, you may want to get together with other volunteers to organise such a trip
and share the costs. Etosha is a few hours drive from CCF and it is best to stay for one or two nights. The
park accommodations quickly fill so you may want to book this before your arrival at CCF. However, you
must obtain approval for such vacation leave prior to booking your trip or consider taking such trips
outside of your visit to CCF. If you wish to take a Thursday morning off to go into Otjiwarongo town with
the car that picks up groceries you will need to let staff know at least two days prior so that they will be
able to schedule you in. You will be allowed approximately one town trip per month and space is
limited, so it is your responsibility to let us know as soon as possible to ensure you will be able to go.
Weather, Climate and Field Conditions
The Namibian climate is harsh and volunteers should be reasonably fit without allergies to insect bites or
in need of frequent medical care. The nearest medical care and pharmacy is in Otjiwarongo, 44 km (30
miles) away. Major medical problems must be treated in Windhoek which is 3.5 hours away by car. In
case of serious injury, medical evacuation would have to be by helicopter or light plane. Please ensure
that you have adequate medical insurance to cover any such eventuality.
The research area is very dry, dusty and at times very hot or below freezing at night. CCF is located at an
altitude of 1,500 metres (5,000 feet) above sea level; normal levels of activity e.g. walking should not be
difficult but exercise or other exertion can take considerably more effort due to the thinner atmosphere.
The terrain is flat but heavily overgrown with thorn bushes. The sun is a constant, and adequate care
must be taken to avoid over-exposure. The ozone-layer in Namibia is one of the thinnest in the world
and it’s very easy to get sunburned. At times, volunteers may find themselves spending several hours in
direct sunlight. Bring protective clothes (long pants, long sleeved tops), a wide-rimmed hat or cap, water
bottle, sunglasses and high factor sunscreen.
19
Cheetah Conservation Fund’s Volunteer Guide
The Namibian summer is opposite to that in the Northern Hemisphere. It is hottest from November
through to March. Winter comes from May to September. As with all semi-arid or desert climates,
temperatures can vary extremely from night to day, and evenings are cool even in the summer. During
summer, daytime temperatures can reach 40° Celsius (104° Fahrenheit). In the winter, it can freeze
overnight (less than 0°C or 32°F). Rain falls during the summer months and thunderstorms are frequent,
so please bring waterproof clothing if you intend to visit during this time. The winter is dry and can be
very cold and windy. There is no heating or air-conditioning at CCF, although a limited amount of hot
water is available for showering. It is strongly advised to bring a warm hat and winter jacket during the
Namibian winter (May-August).
Insects are prevalent, particularly in the rains, so it is advisable to bring bug spray and antihistamines. If
you have allergies to bee stings, bring a special kit.
Snakes are common in Namibia, and there are a number of highly poisonous varieties. However, it is
rare and lucky to see a snake. Be wary of walking barefoot; scorpions are rare but are encountered at
CCF.
Figure 12 The Waterberg Plateau
Cultural Guidelines
Namibia is a politically stable country, and an amalgam of cultures with much ethnic variety. Namibia
was formerly a colony of the German South-West Africa. After WWI, Namibia became a protectorate
state of South Africa. Since gaining its independence in 1991, English is the official national language in
Namibia, though German, Afrikaans and many indigenous languages are widely spoken.
CCF employs and interacts with persons of widely different academic, professional and cultural
backgrounds. CCF considers discrimination of any form (e.g. gender, cultural, religious, sexual, racial and
ethnic) to be an extremely serious matter. Discrimination is considered to include (but is not necessarily
limited to) making derogatory remarks, taking decisions based on considerations other than merit and
harassment of any sort. Those proven to behave in a discriminatory manner face summary dismissal
from CCF.
Given that the culture in Namibia is likely to be different than you’re used to, volunteers should not
expect things to always go smoothly or according to plan (TIA: This Is Africa!). Approaches and
20
Cheetah Conservation Fund’s Volunteer Guide
interactions with people both at CCF and elsewhere will be different than you’re used to. You may feel a
bit like a fish out of water – new experiences, new people who are constantly around you, new things to
do and learn. Culture shock is common, and even if mild, can affect a person’s happiness or normal state
of mind. Frustration can build up if telephones don’t work, electricity cuts out, water runs out or the
whole thing simply becomes overwhelming.
Be prepared for a period of adjustment, as you may feel out of sorts for the first few days. You may have
travelled across several time zones and be suffering from jetlag. You may be sensitive to the food and
water as they are different here. We live in the wilderness and therefore bugs and insects are a common
occurrence, as are dust and dirt. At night, you will hear noises from the wild and from the livestock
guardian dogs and it may take you a while to sleep through them. You may want to bring ear plugs.
The volunteer who will get the most out of his/her experience at CCF is the one that can relax and is
flexible. Appreciate the differences in culture and take the time to learn new ways and enjoy the unique
opportunity of simply being here. You will have wonderful memories of your stay if you remain open to
the adventure and novelty of the place. This will be your home away from home, so enjoy it.
Preparing For Your Trip
Travelling to CCF
Each volunteer is responsible for making their own travel arrangements to and from Namibia. Please
forward your travel details, including flight numbers and arrival times to ccfinfo@iway.na as soon as
possible. We recommend that you aim to arrive in Windhoek no later than 2pm. A Sunday arrival is
preferable. It takes about 4 hours to drive from Windhoek airport to CCF, and driving in the dark is not
recommended. You can obtain items you need from Super Spar (a large supermarket/grocery store
which is open daily) in Otjiwarongo before the final stretch to CCF.
In case you arrive late at night, you should arrange for accommodation in Windhoek. Some people
prefer to spend a night in Windhoek to get over jetlag and if you would like to do so, please let us know
in advance.
It is possible to hitch a ride every two weeks or so with a pre-scheduled trip to/from Windhoek. Please
e-mail ccfinfo@iway.na to find out which dates are available to join the pre-arranged trips. Volunteers
will be allocated on a first-come-first-serve basis. These trips are typically on a Saturday or Sunday
afternoon.
Failing the above, you should aim to arrive in Namibia during the week when we sometimes have CCF
vehicles in Windhoek. Note however that we will not know until a few days ahead of time if a vehicle
will be in the capital. We will contact you prior to your departure to let you know of transport
arrangements.
If you cannot conveniently hitch a ride with either the pre-scheduled trip or another CCF vehicle, you
must organise for your own transportation to CCF. Please e-mail ccfinfo@iway.na with your preferred
choice.
All volunteers are required to cover their own transportation costs, but we can help you arrange it. You
may choose one of the following:
21
Cheetah Conservation Fund’s Volunteer Guide
We can make arrangements with a transport company that we use on a regular basis to collect you
from the airport and take you to CCF. This will cost you N$1675 (approximately US$222). You would
have to pay the driver on arrival at CCF. Please make sure you have Namibian Dollars or South African
Rand with you. You can withdraw these either in Windhoek airport or if you are travelling via South
Africa, in Johannesburg or Cape Town. Both currencies are accepted in Namibia and have the same
value.
You can catch a shared taxi from the airport to Windhoek. This will cost you approximately N$150 250 depending on the number of people. You can ask the driver if this taxi can take you to where you
can catch another taxi, north to Otjiwarongo. This will cost you approximately N$100 - 280, again
depending on the number of people. We would be able to pick you up from Otjiwarongo and take you
to CCF.
You can take a bus from Windhoek city centre (corner of Hosea Kutako Drive and Mandume
Ndemufayo Ave in the Southern Industrial Area) to Otjiwarongo (BP petrol station, opposite Spar
Supermarket). This bus service is run by Sunshine Coaches www.sunshinenam.com and operates every
Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. It departs from Windhoek at 12:30 and arrives in Otjiwarongo
at 15:30. Departure time from Otjiwarongo is 9:00 and arrival in Windhoek is 12:00 noon. The fare is
N$200 and it is essential to book and pay for your seat in advance by e-mailing whk@sunshinenam.com
.
Sunshine Coaches also offer a transfer from Windhoek airport to the departure point of their bus to
Otjiwarongo. This airport transfer costs N$200 (approx. US$26.50), so the airport transfer plus transport
to Otjiwarongo comes to a total of N$400.00 (approx. US$53).
If you are looking for a shuttle from Windhoek airport to the city centre (for example a guest house or
hotel in case you should decide to stay over in Windhoek after your arrival), we can recommend a
company called Townhoppers. They charge N$190.00 (approx. US$25.00) for a pick-up from the airport
to a Windhoek city centre location. This transport has to be pre-booked and pre-paid. Please book
directly with them by e-mailing townhoppers@iway.na .
If you arranged for an airport pickup and you experience flight delays or for some reason there isn’t
anyone there to pick you up, please contact CCF on 067 306 225 if calling from Namibia or +264 67 306
225 if calling from other countries.
Staying in Windhoek
A number of places to overnight in Windhoek are listed below. Prices are approximate and based on a
single room. Check travel guides and/or the internet for more lodging options. We ask you to make your
own booking and settle all bills when you leave.
We have negotiated a special rate for several hotels and other types of accommodations in Windhoek.
Please quote CCF when you make the booking.
1. Kalahari Sands Hotel
CCF negotiated price:
N$1014 for a single room, including breakfast
N$1164 for a double room, including breakfast
The booking must be made through CCF in Namibia.
Tel: +264 61 280 0000
E-mail: ksands@sunint.co.za
Web: www.suninternational.com/Destinations/Hotels/KalahariSands
22
Cheetah Conservation Fund’s Volunteer Guide
2. Windhoek Country Club
CCF negotiated price:
N$1290 for a single room, including breakfast
N$1540 for a double room, including breakfast
This negotiated price must be booked via CCF in Namibia; we will make the booking, get a
confirmation number and e-mail it to you
Tel: +264 61 205 5911
E-mail: windhoek@legacyhotels.co.za
Web: www.legacyhotels.co.za
3. Roof of Africa Hotel
CCF negotiated price, 10% discount on:
Single rooms from N$656 to N$1063, includes breakfast
Double rooms from N$859 to N$1419, includes breakfast
Quote “Cheetah Conservation Fund” when booking for a 10% discount
Tel: +264 61 254 708
E-mail: info@roofofafrica.com
Web: www.roofofafrica.com
4. Vondelhof Guesthouse
Price:
16
Single room N$451, includes breakfast
Double room N$657, includes breakfast
Above rates include a 30% discount for CCF staff and volunteers. Bookings have to be made through
CCF in Namibia.
Tel: +264 61 248320
E-mail: yvonne@vondelhof.com
Web: www.vondelhof.com
5. Puccini International Hostel (an upmarket backpacker with no dormitories)
CCF negotiated price, 5-10% discount on:
single room N$300 (shared bathroom) or N$420 (en-suite), incl. breakfast
double room N$385 (shared bathroom) or N$520 (en-suite), incl. breakfast
Quote “Cheetah Conservation Fund” for a 10% discount if paying cash, or 5% if paying by credit card.
Tel: +264 61 236 355
E-mail: info@puccini-namibia.com
Web: www.puccini-namibia.com
6. Chameleon Backpackers
Price:
N$110 (shared room)
N$220 (private room with a shared bathroom)
N$330 (private room en-suite room)
Tel: +264 61 244 347
E-mail: chamnam@chameleon.com.na
23
Cheetah Conservation Fund’s Volunteer Guide
Web: www.chameleonbackpackers.com
Staying in Otjiwarongo
Some people prefer to travel throughout Namibia before volunteering at CCF. Should you be able to
make your own way to Otjiwarongo (3.5 hours drive north of Windhoek and the nearest town to CCF),
you can be picked up by CCF there. If you need to overnight in Otjiwarongo, here are a few places:
1. C’est Si Bon Lodge
Prices (incl. breakfast): Single room: N$495, double room: N$595
Tel: +264 67 301 240
E-mail: admincestsibon@iway.na
2. Bush Pillow Bed & Breakfast
Prices (incl. breakfast):Single room: N$440, double room: N$540
Tel: +264 67 303 885
E-mail: artworks@iafrica.com.na
3. Hadassa Guesthouse
Prices (incl. breakfast): Single room: N$500, double room: N$660
Tel: +264 67 307 505
E-mail: hadassa@otjiweb.com
4. KaMaKu Guesthouse
Prices (incl. breakfast): Single room: N$375, double room: N$550
Tel: +264 67 307408
E-mail: kamakuguest@iway.na
Accommodation rates may change, so please verify with the guesthouse / hotel you are thinking of
booking with.
Working Visa
All volunteers, interns and zookeepers that come to CCF must apply for a work visa. If you fail to apply
for a work visa and attempt to enter the country on a tourist visa, you risk refusal of entry and being
returned to your home country at your own expense.
Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months after entry into Namibia. If you need to renew your
passport, please ensure you leave sufficient time for passport renewal and the visa application process.
Once you have been approved to volunteer at CCF, the Volunteer Coordinator will e-mail details on how
to apply for the work visa. The cost of applying for the work visa is US$130 and this fee will be added to
your deposit fee which confirms your placement at CCF.
To apply for a work visa, you must submit:
A completed visa form 3-1/003 (we will e-mail you a blank form and instructions on how to
complete it)
A copy of your passport (the page with personal details and the passport number)
A copy of your highest qualification or training certificate (i.e. your high school, university
or post-graduate degree, or certification of technical training). If you do not have a
certificate, please send a copy of your CV or resume.
24
Cheetah Conservation Fund’s Volunteer Guide
These three items should be e-mailed to ccfinfo@iway.na – attachments should be .jpeg/.jpg format,
please try to make each attachment no larger than 200Kb (please compress the images). We work with
an agent in Namibia who helps us process the work visas.
It is essential that you submit everything requested above – the visa cannot be processed without all of
the information. The process takes about 5 or 6 weeks, but may take longer, and you will need to
include your intended date of arrival and departure. The agency will submit your application to the
Ministry of Home Affairs seven weeks prior to your arrival however you should submit your paperwork
to CCF as early as possible to avoid any unnecessary delays.
About one week before your arrival at CCF, we will e-mail you a scanned copy of your work visa approval
letter so it is important that you check your e-mails regularly before leaving for Namibia. You must print
the approval letter and present it to the immigration officer when you enter Namibia. Your work visa
will then be stamped into your passport. Failure to do so may lead to refusal of admission into the
country and you could be sent home on the next flight out (at your own expense). Please DO NOT send
e-mails to ask about your progress of your work visa as this will not speed up the process but if you do
not receive your visa one week before your arrival at CCF, please contact us as soon as possible.
Baggage
Volunteers are advised to travel light, as most items (such as toiletries) can be bought here and CCF has
laundry facilities. Apart from any luggage you check-in, bring a carry-on bag, packed with a change of
clothes as lost baggage is a common occurrence, especially if travelling through Johannesburg. Check
with your airline for luggage allowance information.
Namibia is a safe country for travel however please be aware that in recent months some volunteers
have had the misfortune of experiencing expensive losses when items have been stolen from checked
luggage. Unfortunately Johannesburg Airport is particularly problematic in this regard. Valuable items
e.g. computing and photographic equipment, jewellery, music players should be carried as hand luggage
and please also pack a change of clothes, if you can fit it in, in case your luggage does not make the
connection from Johannesburg to Windhoek. If this happens, your bag will be delivered to CCF a couple
of days to a week later. Delayed or lost luggage is generally not a problem on direct flights from
Germany so it might be worthwhile to check out flights from Frankfurt and Munich to Windhoek (with
Air Namibia www.airnamibia.com or Air Berlin www.airberlin.com ).
Carrying Items for CCF
On occasion volunteers will be kindly requested to carry items from the U.S. or elsewhere to CCF
Namibia. Such items usually include educational material, donated items to local schools or
organisations, or sometimes veterinary equipment (in which case special instructions will be given to
you). If you carry items for CCF, please DO NOT pack them in a box, as that guarantees you will be
stopped at airport customs in Namibia. CCF items should be carried and referred to as personal items
and placed in a suitcase or appropriate travel bag.
Please also note that if you have a stopover (in South Africa for example) your baggage will be checked
for content and weight before transferring to a Namibian flight. If your baggage weight is over the
normal limit, the airline may charge you. Please check in advance with your airline as to allowed weights
and request additional weight allowance if needed.
There is also a “Wish List” on our website (www.cheetah.org) that you may want to review prior to your
visit to CCF. If you are able to bring some of those items with you, it would be greatly appreciated.
25
Cheetah Conservation Fund’s Volunteer Guide
Please contact the Volunteer Coordinator at ccfinfo@iway.na for arrangements. CCF will provide you
with a letter you can present to the airline(s) which states that you are carrying the items on behalf of
CCF and that they are donations and vital for CCF’s work.
Travel Insurance
We strongly recommend that you purchase travel insurance for your stay here. The insurance should
include trip cancellation, delays, or lost baggage, and an extensive health insurance including coverage
for emergency evacuation (costs can reach the order of US$20,000 or more). The protection provided by
medical evacuation coverage is both comprehensive and inexpensive. Ask your travel agent or health
insurance provider for advice.
Volunteers from the UK may have difficulty obtaining travel insurance that covers working with animals
but some have managed to find appropriate insurance cover so please enquire with the volunteer
coordinator if necessary.
Money
You cannot obtain Namibian Dollars anywhere except in Africa, but you can get South African Rand,
which is equivalent to Namibian Dollars and accepted in Namibia as legal tender. Volunteers will not
need much money during the project, except for expenditure on personal purchases, such as gifts or
souvenirs, sodas, alcohol or special food items, or if you plan to travel elsewhere. ATM machines are
common in Namibia and will accept most overseas bankcards. In Otjiwarongo most ATMs are of First
National Bank (FNB) or Standard Bank, so you may want to ensure your card’s compatibility specifically
with FNB or Standard Bank. Visa and Master Card are also accepted in major stores and overnight
accommodations across Namibia (but not petrol stations, in case you plan to hire a car for travelling
around Namibia before or after your stay at CCF).
If you do bring foreign currency, it is best to exchange money at the airport, either in Windhoek or in
Johannesburg or Cape Town if you have a stop-over. You can use any major currency or Travellers
Cheques to exchange your money (you will need to bring along your passport for identification).
In South Africa, you can buy South African Rand. South Africa does not accept the Namibian Dollar,
however, in exchange for the Rand, so it is best to convert all Namibian Dollars back to either Rand or
your own currency before leaving Namibia.
Health
General Health and First Aid
There is no doctor or nurse on the CCF farm; the nearest hospital is a 45-minute drive away down a
bumpy dirt track. If you have serious allergies or illnesses that require constant medical attention, CCF
may not be the place for you. For example, we do not have 24-hour electric power and there is no
electricity at night (e.g. for sleep apnoea machines). In addition, CCF is not able to provide specialist
diets e.g. diabetic, vegan, low fat or low sodium, although we can cater for vegetarians.
First aid and other over-the-counter medical items are readily available at pharmacies in town. There
are also First-aid kits for emergencies at CCF itself.
Pharmacies and supermarkets also stock plenty of sanitary towels, tampons, condoms, contact lens
solution, sunscreen, shower gel, shampoos, hair conditioners, body and face lotions, deodorants, etc.
26
Cheetah Conservation Fund’s Volunteer Guide
Vaccinations and Immunisation
We are often asked about vaccinations and medications against malaria, yellow fever and rabies.
Chloroquine-resistant malaria is endemic in central and northern Namibia, and CCF is located on the
border of this region, but is not directly in this region and therefore the threat of malaria is minimal.
Rabies however is a common disease among wild and domestic animals in the country. You should talk
to your doctor for advice on prophylactics for malaria and rabies immunisation.
In practice, long-term volunteers and staff may choose to forego malaria medication. Since the climate is
arid and dry, except during the rainy season (Jan-Apr), there are very few mosquitoes on the farm.
Mosquitoes are more prevalent in some tourist areas such as Etosha National Park. Apart from malaria,
mosquitoes also carry other serious diseases such as dengue fever. We recommend that you bring an
effective mosquito/insect repellent or buy one locally. In addition, CCF has mosquito nets available for
use.
Once infected, rabies is a fatal disease. If you have not been immunized against rabies and come into
contact with a rabid animal, you need to have treatment within 24 hours. Even if you have been
immunized against rabies and come into contact with a rabid animal, you will still need to undergo
further treatment within 24 hours. This treatment is available in Otjiwarongo (44km from CCF). Please
note that if you want to get immunized for rabies, plan to do so well in advance of your stay at CCF since
the process requires 3 injections, over a 28-day period for long-term coverage. Namibia is not in a yellow
fever zone. However, if you are travelling to Namibia from infected areas or from countries in the
endemic zones you will need to show yellow fever certification.
HIV/AIDS
The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is a disease
that suppresses the body’s immune system for which there is no known cure. In sub-Saharan Africa,
HIV/AIDS is a massive problem, and an important issue to consider for any traveller. Of the 30 million
adults living with HIV/AIDS, 21 million live in sub-Saharan Africa.
A 2001 estimate states that 22.5% of Namibians suffer from HIV/AIDS which makes it one of the top four
countries in the world most affected by HIV/AIDS. In Namibia, the percentage of deaths related to AIDS
is higher than either tuberculosis or malaria. The Namibian government announced its third national
AIDS plan in April of 2004, which includes developing and disseminating information, strengthening
condom distribution channels and providing care to those that have the disease.
HIV/AIDS can be transmitted via sexual intercourse, blood transfusion or injection, or sharing needles
with HIV/AIDS infected drug users. You can take steps to avoid these risk situations by practicing safe sex
(condoms are available in pharmacies and free of charge in many public buildings), not sharing needles
and wearing gloves when handling blood or applying first aid. Abstaining from sex is still the best
protection against transmission of HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases. Please note that
CCF does not approve of fraternization. CCF staff members are prohibited from becoming romantically
involved with students and volunteers.
Dress Code and Clothing
The Namibian summer is from November through to March. Nights are cool and days hot and
sometimes rainy. The winter is from May to September. Days are cool and nights are cold, sometimes
27
Cheetah Conservation Fund’s Volunteer Guide
below freezing. We have no heating or air conditioning. During the winter, it is very cold inside all
buildings.
We ask that all volunteers dress in a presentable and professional manner, regardless of the type of
work they will be doing at CCF. You will be issued with CCF logo t-shirts upon arrival. These will be your
uniform to wear while on duty. Short-term volunteers will receive one t-shirt; long-term volunteers up
to two t-shirts and a polo shirt. You may purchase additional CCF clothing (t-shirts, polo shirts,
blouses/shirts, fleece, sweaters, etc.) from the gift shop if you wish.
The dress code at the farm is casual but conservative. We request that volunteers, even when on the
farm, dress appropriately (t-shirt and shorts of at least mid-thigh length are fine). It is not appropriate to
show excessive skin in Namibian culture. It is CCF’s policy that volunteers should not wear bikini tops,
cropped tops, small tank tops, low cut hipsters that expose the mid-rift, short shorts, miniskirts, torn
clothing, inappropriate logos/prints or designs on t-shirts, etc.
If you are working with animals, it can be messy, so please wear clothing that you don’t mind soiling or
ruining. When you are out in the bush, you should wear long pants and shirts with long sleeves even in
the summer. Ankle-high hiking boots are a must when in the field to protect yourself against snakes,
thorns and prickly grass seeds. You may want to bring a pair of work gloves for feeding and/or farm
work.
In town and when visiting other farms, CCF requires that volunteers dress more smartly (pants, smart
jeans or long shorts and a clean polo shirt, for example). If you plan to work with the education
programme, you must dress more conservatively (women – long skirt or smart pants and a button shirt;
men – slacks/pants, button shirt). Please remember that while you are here, you are representing CCF as
an organisation, and that you should project a professional image at all times.
Items to Bring
Here is a guide of what type of clothing to bring in summer and winter. Avoid bringing white or light
coloured clothes since they will get dirty:
Summer (November – March)
Shorts (several)
Long pants/jeans (few)
Long-sleeved top (for thorn bush protection)
T-shirts/polo-shirts/tank tops
Sandals (to work in)
Hiking boots and sport shoes
Rain coat
Light fleece or sweatshirt
Cap/Hat (essential)
A smart outfit & shoes (for social outings)
Waterproof trousers
Winter (May – September)
Shorts (few)
Long pants/jeans (several)
Long sleeved tops (several)
T-shirts/polo-shirts
Sweaters/Jumpers
Sandals (for hot days)
Hiking boots and sport shoes
Heavy fleece/Winter jacket/Wind breaker
Cap/beanie/woolly hat/scarf/gloves (essential)
A smart outfit & shoes (for social outings)
Long-johns (against the cold)
Other items not to forget, both in summer and in winter:
Passport + 1 photocopy (place in a different bag to passport in case you lose your passport)
Work visa
Airline ticket
Copy of travel insurance
28
Cheetah Conservation Fund’s Volunteer Guide
Money (either South African Rand or Namibian Dollars), ATM card, credit card (optional), Travellers
Cheques
Drivers Licence (if applicable)
Camera; extra camera battery; extra memory cards; film (if applicable)
Flashlight, torch or headlamp and spare batteries
Sunglasses
Eye glasses & prescription (if applicable)
Sunscreen (high factor)
Mosquito/insect repellent
Prescription medication, special allergy kit & copy of your prescription (if applicable)
Water bottle
Small bottle of shampoo/shower gel
Work gloves
Pen, pencil, paper
Alarm clock (battery operated)
Small backpack (for daily use)
Multi-tool/pocket knife (but please put in your check-in baggage only!)
Small sewing/repair kit
USB memory stick (optional)
Ipod/MP3player/discman and some music (optional)
Mains power adaptor plug (can be bought at Johannesburg airport)
Laptop (optional) with laptop lock and carrying case
Before you Leave Checklist
Have you done the following before leaving home for CCF?
_ Paid the volunteer fee in its entirety (must be paid 2 months prior to arrival)
_ E-mailed your final flight itinerary and arrival details to the Volunteer Coordinator
_ Checked that your passport is valid for at least 6 months after entry into Namibia
_ Obtained a work visa and have a copy of it to present to immigration upon arrival (Give details
necessary for processing to CCF at least 7 weeks in advance)
_ Updated your vaccinations (start rabies immunization process at least two months in advance)
_ Brought some cash to exchange into South African Rand or Namibian Dollars
_ Bought travel and medical insurance
_ Left details of how your family and friends can reach you at CCF
_ Packed some extra clothing in your carry-on in case your luggage gets lost
_ Packed all your medication and a copy of your prescription
_ Packed extra eye glasses/contact lenses (if applicable)
_ Read your Volunteer Guide
_ Made a photocopy of your airline ticket, passport, insurance and vaccination documents in case they
get lost (keep in a separate, different location) CCF may ask volunteers to bring certain items. If you
would like to take something to CCF, please contact the Volunteer Coordinator for more information.
Organisational Structure
The Cheetah Conservation Fund is an international organisation with registered not-for-profit
organisations in Namibia, the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Netherlands and Japan. In
29
Cheetah Conservation Fund’s Volunteer Guide
1991 CCF became a Namibian Voluntary Trust and in 2002 completed the registration of the Cheetah
Conservation Fund as a not-for-profit Namibian Section 21 Company. CCF’s Namibian Board of Directors
is comprised of leaders in the local community, business and agricultural sectors. Additionally, there is
an International Scientific Board of Advisors that assists in planning and advising on research projects.
CCF’s Executive Director, Dr. Laurie Marker, is assisted in the management and operations of CCF by a
core of professional staff. Short-term volunteers and students assist with daily operations and data
collection.
CCF’s International Research and Education Centre is the base for all CCF activity. The Centre includes:
the farms Elandsvreugde, Osonanga (2 farms), Boskop (Khayam’s Kopje), Cheetah View, Bellebeno and
Janhelpman, totalling 46,000 hectares. The farm base is in prime cheetah habitat and a wildlife-friendly
area, with neighbouring farmers who believe in conservation ethics. This ensures a large prey
population, which is important for the cheetah population, and models for the farmers that they can live
harmoniously with cheetah.
CCF is an active member of the Waterberg Conservancy, which encompasses over 175,000 hectares of
private farmland surrounding the Waterberg Plateau Park - a national game park dedicated to rare and
endangered species. The Conservancy's farmers cooperatively manage its wildlife for long-term
sustainability, which in turn provides habitat and a prey base for the cheetah.
Staff Profiles
Dr. Laurie Marker (United States) is Co-Founder and Executive Director of
CCF. She received a B.Sc. degree from Eastern Oregon State University in 1990
and a Ph.D. from the University of Oxford’s (UK) Department of Zoology in
2003. During 16 years (1974-1988) at Wildlife Safari in Oregon, she helped
establish the most successful captive cheetah-breeding program in North
America. She first came to Namibia in 1977 when she brought a captive-born,
hand-raised cheetah to the country to determine if cheetahs must be taught
to hunt or if the process is instinctual. This was the first of this type of research
to better understand if there is a chance for captive-born cheetahs to be
reintroduced into the wild. While in Namibia, Dr. Marker learned about the
conflict between livestock farmers and cheetahs in the country, discovering
that wild cheetahs needed help.
For the next 10 years she continued travelling to Africa to learn more about
wild cheetah problems and what could be done to assist wild populations. In the early 1980s, along with
collaborators at the National Zoo and National Cancer Institute in the U.S., she helped identify the
cheetah’s lack of genetic variation, thus causing the species greater problems for survival. In 1988, in
collaboration with these two institutions, she became the Executive Director of the Centre for New
Opportunities in Animal Health Sciences (NOAHS), based at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Zoo.
Dr. Marker continues to serve as a NOAHS Research Fellow. Also in 1988 she developed the
International Cheetah Studbook, a registry of captive cheetah worldwide, and is the International
Studbook Keeper. Dr. Marker set up CCF in 1990, moving to Namibia to develop a permanent
conservation research centre. In 1996 she was made Vice-Chair of the World Conservation Union’s
(IUCN) Species Survival Commission’s (SSC) Cat Specialist Group.
Currently Dr. Marker is involved with a large number of conservation-related organizations and
programs, including the Namibian Large Carnivore Management Forum, the Conservancy Association of
30
Cheetah Conservation Fund’s Volunteer Guide
Namibia, the Waterberg Conservancy, the Namibian Veterinary Association, the Namibian Professional
Hunters Association Rare Species Committee, the American Association of Zoological Parks and
Aquariums and the Society of Women Geographers. She has also received numerous awards. In 2000
she was recognized as one of Time Magazine’s Heroes for the Planet and given the Burrow’s
Conservation Award from Cincinnati, Ohio. In 2001 she was locally honoured in Namibia, receiving the
Paul Harris Fellowship from the Windhoek Rotary Club, and in 2002 she received a special award from
the Sanveld Conservancy, signifying Namibia’s farming community’s public acknowledgement of Dr.
Marker and CCF’s contributions. In 2003 Chevron-Texaco honoured her as Conservationist of the Year
and in 2005 she received the Tracks in the Sand Award from The Living Desert. She has also received San
Diego Zoo’s Lifetime Achievement Award (2008), Tech Museum’s Intel Environment Award (2008), Tyler
Prize for Environmental Achievement (2010) and Explorers Club’s Thomas Award (2010). She has
produced an extensive number of publications concerning Namibian cheetahs and is on the board of
many big cat conservation committees.
Dr. Bruce Brewer (United States) has been the project’s General Manager since 1998 and is
responsible for the overall day-to-day running of CCF and the CCF Bushblok project. He is an
evolutionary biologist with over 20 years’ experience in the management of zoological collections. He
was previously Curator at the Chicago Zoo Society, where he was Chair of the Division of Animal
Collections. He has experience managing professional and technical staffs of up to 100 persons,
managing operating budgets in excess of US$3,000,000 and administering capital projects in excess of
US$4,000,000. Dr. Brewer received his Ph.D. studying population biology and genetics and has academic
training and experience in animal nutrition, husbandry and population management of various taxa of
mammals, and maintenance of animal colonies, including experimental design and programming of
appropriate computer software to monitor the data.
Dr. Anne Schmidt-Küntzel (Germany & France) joined CCF in the summer of 2008 in order to set up
the Applied Biosystems Genetic Conservation Laboratory at the CCF Research Centre. This allows CCF to
conduct genetic research on cheetahs in Namibia, rather than having to export samples to laboratories
in the USA or Europe. A large part of the research is conducted on non-invasive samples (scat).
From 2002 to 2008 Anne worked in Dr. Stephen O’Brien’s Laboratory on Genomic Diversity at the
National Cancer Institute, where she obtained a PhD in Genetics through The George Washington
University in 2007. In 2000 she graduated from the veterinary school at Liège University in Belgium.
Matti Nghikembua (Namibia) has been a Senior Research Assistant and Education Officer for the
project since 1997, assisting with ongoing ecological research and the bush encroachment program. He
is responsible for training student interns from the Polytechnic of Namibia and University of Namibia
(UNAM) and coordinates environmental education and outreach programs at CCF. Matti has many
years’ experience in field surveys and worked as an interviewer for field surveys at the Multidisciplinary
Research Social Sciences Division of the University of Namibia prior to joining CCF in February 1997 as a
trainee. He conducted a baseline vegetation survey for the Fire Management Trial Plots at Kanovlei
Forestry Research Station, Western Bushmanland, for the Directorate of Forestry, Ministry of
Environment and Tourism, and holds a National Diploma in Natural Resource Management and a
B.Tech. degree from the Polytechnic of Namibia. Matti completed his Masters’ in Development Studies
with the University of the Orange Free State and was named a Conservation Hero by the Disney Wildlife
Conservation Fund in 2006. He is fluent in five Namibian languages and has extensive knowledge of local
cultures.
31
Cheetah Conservation Fund’s Volunteer Guide
Juliette Erdtsieck (South Africa) is the Head Cheetah Keeper. She grew up in South Africa, and then
went to Holland, where she completed her IGSE and IB. She received her degree in Nature Conservation
in South Africa. She also holds certificates as a Veterinarian Assistant, Surgical Assistant, and Wildlife
Rehabilitation. She is currently studying to receive her National Diploma for Animal Health.
Johan Britz (Namibia) is the Farms Manager for the project, overseeing the functioning of every
aspect of the CCF farm, such as supply of water, electricity, working vehicles, food for captive cheetahs
and livestock management. He also manages all the farm workers and oversees university students
studying agriculture. Johan has 13 years’ experience in cattle farm work and is a former Agricultural
Training Officer at Neudamm Agricultural College, lecturing on game farming, large stock farming,
financial management, agricultural marketing and strategic planning and production economics. He is
co-author of the paper Integrating Game into Conventional Animal Production Systems in Namibia,
presented at the British Society of Animal Production/Animal Production Society Kenya Conference in
Nairobi, Kenya (1998), and co-author of Complementarity of Game with Livestock Production in
Namibia, published by the World Animal Review. He holds a Masters degree in Sustainable Agriculture
from Orange Freestate University, South Africa, and a B.Sc. in Agriculture, Animal Science and
Agricultural Economics from Stellenbosch University, South Africa.
Engelhardt /Awaseb (Namibia) has been Assistant Farm Manager for the project since 2003 and is
responsible for assisting with management of the farms and all livestock. He obtained a National
Diploma in Agriculture from the Neudamm Agricultural College in 2003 and worked with the Ministry of
Agriculture, Water and Rural Development assisting in the National Extension Impact Baseline Survey.
He holds certificates from the Nguni Breeders Association and the Brahman Breeders Association and
won the EPOL Trophy for Outstanding Achievement in Animal Nutrition. He also completed the
Smithsonian Institution’s Wildlife Capture and Translocation Course in 2003. Engelhardt is fluent in four
Namibian languages.
Bessie Simon (Namibia) has been Farm Supervisor for the project since April 2003 and is responsible
for daily operations at Janhelpman Cattle Farm. She supervises animal husbandry, assigns farm staff and
assists scientific staff in the collection of data regarding cheetah biology and ecology. She has decades of
experience as a farm manager, including conservancy farms, and is an experienced data analyst and
cattle and small stock farmer. She also ran a very successful coal-burning operation for her previous
employer.
Max Simon (Namibia) has been Maintenance Supervisor since April 2003 and is responsible for the
maintenance and improvement of CCF facilities and equipment such as vehicles, engines, water and
electric systems and fences. He assists the Farm Manager and Assistant Farm Manager with the
supervision and scheduling of farm staff and assists others with animal husbandry and research tasks as
required. Max started his career as a mechanical engineer and worked for the transitional government
in Namibia for five years as an inspector of works. He has nearly two decades of experience as a farm
manager, including conservancy farms.
Ezekiel Fabiano (Angola) has been a Research Assistant for the project since 2005. He manages the
CCF databases, conducts data analysis and assists with game counts and other ecological research
projects. Ezekiel was a laboratory Assistant at the University of Namibia during 2002 where he gained a
BSc in Environmental Biology and Computer Science. He has been a member of the Namibian Tree Atlas
Project since 2002. He obtained a Masters degree in Environment and Development from the University
32
Cheetah Conservation Fund’s Volunteer Guide
of Kwa-Zulu Natal in 2006. He is originally from Angola and speaks Portuguese. Fabiano is currently
working on his PhD on genetics in Brazil.
Gebhardt Nikanor (Namibia) has been an Education Officer for the project since 2001 and is responsible
for coordinating and conducting environmental education and outreach programs at schools and at the
CCF centre. He is also responsible for Education Centre visitors, including tourists and school groups, as
well as education activities with youth groups, environmental groups and schools. He has a decade of
experience in education workshops and programs with the Ministry of Youth and Sport and the Desert
Research Foundation, with relevant certificates from Rossing Foundation, University of South Africa,
Ministry of Youth and Sport, UNICEF and SADC. He has a background in teaching environmental
education in Namibian schools. He is fluent in four Namibian languages and has extensive knowledge of
local cultures.
Gabriel Angala (Namibia) joined CCF in 2006 in order to conduct his in-service training as a tourism and
hospitality student and has been employed as a tourism officer following his graduation in 2008. He is
currently responsible for the day-to-day running of the CCF gift shop as well as coordinating day visitors
and also guides tourists around the centre and cheetah enclosures.
Gabriel is a qualified tour guide and besides several other tourism qualifications, obtained a City &
Guilds International Advanced Diploma in International Tourism. Prior to joining CCF he worked as a
sales and marketing consultant at Sossusvlei Lodge where he was involved in all aspects of hospitality
operations
Gabriella Flacke (American/German) came to CCF in early July of 2011 from Portland, Oregon, USA,
where she worked as a volunteer veterinarian at the Oregon Zoo as well as an associate in private
practice with companion animals. She graduated with her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine (DVM)
degree from the University of Georgia in 2003, and received her Master’s in Veterinary Wildlife
Conservation Medicine (MVSc) from Murdoch University, in Perth, Australia in 2007. She has worked
extensively with wildlife populations in the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Province of South Africa, and was the
field veterinarian for the KZN African Wild Dog Reintroduction and Conservation Programme from 20062007. Her main areas of interest in veterinary medicine are wildlife conservation and the study of
disease in wildlife populations, with a specific focus in Southern Africa.
Rosie Glazier (British) is the Head Veterinary Nurse. She has always had a love for big cats and a great
interest in Southern African wildlife. Before coming to CCF she volunteered at welfare organizations and
various other private practices in South Africa. Rosie studied at Onderstepoort, the Veterinary Faculty of
the University of Pretoria, graduating in November 2009 with a University Diploma in Veterinary
Nursing. She originally came to CCF as an intern for two months focusing mainly on clinic activities. She
is now working as a nurse in the clinic, caring for the resident cheetahs, goats and sheep and the
Anatolian Shepherd Dogs.
Heike Stackmann (Germany) is CCF Volunteer Co-ordinator and Public Relations Officer for the project.
She came to Namibia in 2006 and began organising CCF’s annual fundraising gala dinner. Heike is the
contact person for all prospective CCF volunteers. She started out as a shipping agent and worked in this
field in Germany and Ireland as well as being a tour guide in Dublin. Heike has a Diploma in Translations
from the London Institute of Linguists and worked as a freelance translator before moving to Namibia.
Charles Geingob (Namibian) is one of the Tour Guides at CCF. He grew up in Okahandja, Namibia. He has
worked as a computer technician, and has received his guide training from Wilderness Safaris. He
33
Cheetah Conservation Fund’s Volunteer Guide
worked for Erongo Wilderness Lodge guiding bird watching, and also worked for Leading Lodges
(Epacha) as a ranger.
Gail Potgieter (South African) currently runs the CCF guarding dog programme. She conducted her MSc
on the dogs in the programme through Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University from 2009-2011. She
also assists farmers in dealing with cheetah conflict situations on their land. In addition, she is helping to
habituate the most recent group of cheetah orphans at CCF.
Other CCF staff:
Ignatius Davids (tour guide)
Niki Rust (ecologist)
Adam Bean (detection dog trainer)
Santa Friederich (PA to Dr Marker)
Patricia Munene (educational assistant)
Priskilla Nepela (ecotourism)
Rachel Shairp (assistant cheetah keeper)
Ryan Sucaet (head of cheetah reintroductions)
Karin Falk (part-time accountant)
Agnes Rukoro and Secilia Iyambo (cooks)
Aramas Shanika (herder)
Maria /Araxas, Erika Tsibes, Veronica Somaes and Elfriede Suxus (cleaning ladies)
The History of the Cheetah Conservation Fund
The Cheetah Conservation Fund was founded in 1990 by its Executive Director, Dr. Laurie Marker. Our
mission is to be an international organisation recognised as the centre of excellence in research and
education on cheetah and their ecosystems, which works with all stakeholders to achieve best practice
in the conservation and management of the world’s cheetah. CCF is an international organisation with
registered organisations in the US, Canada, UK and Namibia. His Excellency, Dr. Sam Nujoma, former
Namibian President, is our International Patron. In 1991, CCF became a Namibian Voluntary Trust with a
Namibian Board of Directors, and in 2002, a Section 21 Company not-for-gain.
CCF is an active member of the Waterberg Conservancy, which
encompasses over 490,000 acres of private farmland surrounding the
Waterberg Plateau Park - a national game park dedicated to rare and
endangered species. The Conservancy's farmers (all neighbours to
CCF) co-operatively manage the Conservancy’s wildlife for long-term
sustainability based on sound conservation principles. This in turn
provides habitat and prey base for the cheetah. In addition, CCF is
actively involved with the Conservancy Association of Namibia
(CANAM), which is an umbrella body for the promotion of
conservancies in Namibia.
34
Cheetah Conservation Fund’s Volunteer Guide
Recent History of the Cheetah
The cheetah, Acinonyx jubatus, was once found on four continents and was one of the most
widespread of all land mammals. In 1900, more than 100,000 cheetahs were found throughout Asia and
Africa. Today, the cheetah population consists of about 12,000-15,000 animals in 24-26 African
countries and less than 100 animals in Iran. Viable populations are found in less than half of the
countries where cheetahs still exist. Namibia has the largest free-ranging population of
cheetah in the world, with an estimated 3,000 animals. Cheetahs are listed as “vulnerable” by the
Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species of Fauna and Flora (CITES) and “endangered”
by The World Conservation Union (IUCN).
Cheetah populations continue to decline due to loss of habitat, reduced numbers of wild prey, and
competition with humans and their livestock interests. In Namibia, 95% of cheetahs are found on
commercial farmlands and not in protected reserves. Here they come into conflict with livestock and
game farmers, while in protected areas they face increased competition from other large predators,
such as hyaenas and lions.
The survival of the cheetah is in the hands of about 1,000 commercial farmers. In Namibia, wildlife
belongs to the landowner. During the 1980s, Namibia’s cheetah population halved – nearly 7,000
cheetahs were removed (killed or trapped) by farmers who perceived cheetahs as having a severe
negative economic impact on livestock and wild game industries. As a result, farmers indiscriminately
captured and removed large number of cheetahs as “pests”.
In addition to the problems in the wild, cheetahs breed poorly in captivity. Imports of wild cheetah from
Namibia have sustained worldwide captive populations. To complicate matters, the species’ lack of
genetic variation – most likely due to a bottleneck in evolution – makes the cheetah more vulnerable to
ecological and environmental changes.
Cheetah Behaviour
Cheetahs are the fastest land animals in the world and can reach speeds up to 110 km/h (70 miles/h).
Females weigh around 38 kg (90 lbs) and males average 50 kg (110 lbs). This lean and lightweight body
helps it reach its top speeds. The cheetah is diurnal; it hunts by day. To make a kill, the cheetah uses a
chase-trip-bite sequence. The cheetah is successful in about 50% of its hunting attempts. It will not
typically defend its kill against larger predators such as lions and hyena. Because of its light build, it is
known to use “flight” and not “fight” behaviour.
In Namibia, free-ranging cheetahs have adapted to the farmlands and exhibit behaviour unlike cheetahs
in other parts of Africa. CCF has found through its radio-tracking that animals can occupy home ranges
larger than 1,500 km². Animals can move up to 26 km (16 miles) per day but average about 3 km (5
miles) per day.
Namibian cheetahs, particularly males, exhibit a very strong drive to go to 'playtrees' as part of their
territory. Three types of trees have been identified as use for playtrees, the favoured is the camel thorn
tree, which tends to have sloping trunks and heavy horizontal limbs – ideal for cheetahs to jump into
and observe their surroundings. They leave scat and urine as markings.
Farmers use playtrees to catch cheetahs. They place an open trap cage close to the tree and surrounding
it with a thorn bush boma. The cheetah’s drive to get to the tree is so strong that it readily walks
through the only opening and triggers the trap. Once caught, the future for the cheetah is generally
poor. Its vocalisations will attract other cheetahs (usually family members) which can, in turn, also be
35
Cheetah Conservation Fund’s Volunteer Guide
caught. CCF has seen mostly males captured in this way, suggesting that playtrees play a bigger role for
male than female cheetahs, but the use of trees may vary throughout the year.
Cheetahs are social animals, often living in small family groups. Males (often brothers) will stick together
for life to form a coalition which helps them to establish and protect a territory. A coalition often has
more success in hunting and defending its area than a single male. Females live alone until they give
birth to their first litter of cubs. Cubs stay with their mother for nearly two years, to can benefit from a
steep and difficult learning curve of hunting, socialising and other cheetah survival skills.
Females become sexually mature at 1.5 to 2 years of age, and have several heats a year ('seasonally
polyestrous'), each cycle lasting 7-14 days. Vocalisation is an important part in the courting ritual. The
gestation period is 90-95 days and births can occur anytime throughout the year, to an average litter of
3-4 cubs. In Namibia litters are primarily found in thick bush, aardvark or warthog holes. The cubs’ eyes
open at 5-11 days and at 5-8 weeks they begin to follow their mother. At 2-3 months, they are weaned
and at six months they are half of their adult size. They lose their baby teeth at eight months. Young
cubs display a silver mantle on their back which helps to camouflage them from danger.
Cheetahs and Human Conflict
Namibia is an arid country, noted for its desert ecosystems and
diversity of life. About 49% of the country is suitable for
commercial livestock farming of which more than half is used for
cattle production. This land is also the primary habitat for the
cheetah. Farms vary from 5,000 to 20,000 hectares (12,000 to
50,000 acres) and are predominantly bushveld with grasslands.
The cheetah has found a niche on these lands because of the
predominance of the game species (due to water holes for
livestock) and the lack of competition from other large predators.
The abundance of prey is of utmost importance in sustaining the cheetah population. Cyclical droughts
and farm practices, however, have often upset this balance. In the 1980s drought, for example, farmers
culled large amounts of wild game to save pastures for livestock. To seek other sources of revenue,
many farmers began raising game, some turning exclusively to game farming. They developed fencing to
keep game in. Within the fenced areas, game populations were used mostly for trophy hunting. If
hunted by cheetahs, it created an economic loss to the farmer. To exacerbate the situation, nearly 75%
of the kudu population – the cheetah’s main prey – died from a rabies epidemic. Conflicts between
farmers and cheetahs peaked.
CCF research has shown that livestock loss to cheetah is not as great as it has been perceived by the
farmer. Although predation by the cheetah does occur, many farmers have done little to alleviate their
problems in a non-lethal manner, although our research has shown that alternative solutions exist.
Some farmers, for example, have managed to reduce livestock losses to almost nil by keeping a few
female donkeys with their calving herd. Other solutions include keeping calves close to the homestead
or in corrals for the first few months. To protect small stock, such as sheep and goats, farmers can use
livestock guarding dogs (Anatolian Shepherds and Kangals) bred by CCF. To address human/predator
conflicts, CCF regularly hosts training courses and workshops and distributes guides and manuals. CCF
attends agricultural shows to promote the training courses and livestock management techniques. In
addition, CCF works with the Conservancy Association of Namibia (CANAM) and conservancies to
36
Cheetah Conservation Fund’s Volunteer Guide
disseminate conservation and management principles and influence policy development. One
programme, Cheetah Country Beef that involves conservancy farmers and CANAM to implement
predator-friendly livestock management practices, is expected to be launched within the next few years.
CCF Programmes
The Cheetah Conservation Fund programme consists of three main areas: conservation, research, and
education. The conservation programme aims to assure survival of wild cheetah populations. The
research programme provides scientific support for conservation activities through data collection and
analysis, understanding ecosystems and habitats, evaluating non-lethal livestock management and
predator control techniques and collaborating with other research organizations. The education
programme aims to raise awareness of the cheetah’s plight, and how humans play a role in this. The
programme assists farmers in conservation efforts, reaches out to schools and youth groups, brings
conservation issues into formal education curricula and textbooks, and develops higher-learning
partnerships with future scientists and decision-makers.
Conservation
CCF maintains a holding facility for non-releasable cheetahs that came to us as orphans, old or injured
animals. Many of these animals are part of ongoing studies conducted by CCF and its collaborators. CCF
also works closely with other Namibian cheetah facilities and often places non-releasable cheetahs on
guest farms. CCF staff monitors the animals and provides training to animal caretakers.
Figure 13 Volunteer (left) assisting Dr Marker and staff with radio-collaring of cheetah
Livestock and Farm Management Practices
Livestock loss to cheetahs is an economic and emotional issue: Namibian farmers perceive cheetahs as
having an excessive economic impact on their livestock and game industries. Research conducted by CCF
37
Cheetah Conservation Fund’s Volunteer Guide
from 1991 and ongoing has found that over a 10-year period Namibian farmers’ attitudes have changed.
Now, 13% more farmers favour cheetah presence on their properties, while nearly a quarter of farmers
removed no cheetahs (versus only 10% in the previous period). CCF’s research has shown that 10 years
ago the average number of removals by all farmers was over 19 cheetahs per year on their farms,
whereas today, the average annual removal is two.
CCF’s research shows that livestock farmers can co-exist comfortably with cheetahs, whereas game
farmers continue to view cheetahs as an ongoing problem. Typically, game farmers have removed more
cheetahs, as they seek to protect valuable game. Many of these farmers, however, admit that they
continue to experience losses despite the removal, indicating that this method is not the solution. A
great threat to the cheetah is the accelerated building of fenced game farms (nearly one-fifth of CCF’s
research area has been game fenced since 1991) thus reducing game migrations and increasing
cheetah/human conflicts.
CCF has a model farm that develops, tests and exhibits wildlife management techniques. These
strategies are shared with farmers and reduce livestock losses. Strategies include methods such as:
implementing calving seasons, setting up calving kraals, using guardian dogs, herders and donkeys,
building electric fences and warthog swing gates to prevent holes in fences.
Figure 14 Volunteer assisting with goat care
38
Cheetah Conservation Fund’s Volunteer Guide
International Cheetah Conservation
CCF assists in international programme development and adapts model programmes developed in
Namibia for use in other countries, distributing its materials and information throughout Africa and the
rest of the world. In Namibia, CCF participates in the Large Carnivore Management Association of
Namibia (LCMAN) and the Conservancies Association of Namibia (CANAM). Internationally, CCF was
actively involved in setting up the world’s first Cheetah Master Plan workshop, as founding member of
the Global Cheetah Forum. CCF’s director is one of the six core members of the Cat Specialist Group of
the World Conservation Union (IUCN). Additionally, CCF manages the International Cheetah Studbook,
supported by CCF UK, for over 1,300 captive cheetahs across the globe.
CCF’s Kenyan operations became an independent, affiliated organisation - Action For Cheetahs in Kenya
(ACK) - in 2009, headed by Mary Wyckstra. CCF has also been working with the North African Region
Cheetah Organization to discuss conservation and research strategies in Algeria. On the back of the
Ethiopian cubs rescue coordinated by CCF, Dr. Marker became involved in 2005 with conservation of
wild cheetahs in Ethiopia. The key conservation issues in Ethiopia are the high incidence of poaching of
young carnivores and illegal trade of wildlife. In addition, some areas are not safe due to tribal and
international warfare. Another challenge is the decentralized political structure in Ethiopia that requires
working individually with nine member states. Other recommendations made on the back of a workshop
with wildlife stakeholders are to conduct a cheetah and carnivore population census, develop education
programs and a centre, provide veterinary and wildlife training and develop capacity building programs.
CCF is also in talks with India regarding a possible reintroduction of cheetah to the grasslands of India
after their absence of over 60 years.
Livestock Guarding Dogs
In 1994, CCF implemented a pilot programme on the use of
Livestock Guarding Dogs on Namibian farms. The use of such
dogs has been a long-standing tradition throughout the
world as an effective method of non-lethal predator control.
Guarding dogs protect livestock, the farmer’s livelihood,
whilst at the same time conserving the predator species. CCF
chose to breed Anatolian Shepherd: a Turkish breed of dog
chosen for its ability to work in arid climates unsupervised, in
vast open spaces – similar conditions to Namibia.
Figure 15 Livestock guarding puppy with goats
CCF’s Livestock Guarding Dog programme has been very
successful and has generated interest among farmers,
communities, tourists and the media since its inception. The
dogs are placed with small stock herds (i.e. sheep and goats)
on communal and commercial farmers to protect the flocks from predators. Dogs are evaluated for their
effectiveness and monitored with respect to how they adapt to the Namibian environment. CCF has
been placing approximately 15-20 dogs on farms annually since the inception of the project.
39
Cheetah Conservation Fund’s Volunteer Guide
CCF Bush Pty Ltd
In line with CCF’s studies on habitat conservation, a bush project began in 2001. CCF Bush deals with the
problem of bush encroachment. The thickening and multiplication of endemic bush species is a
desertification process that is a major environmental and economic concern for the Namibian
government, as 90% of the population’s income comes from cattle farming which continues to lose an
estimated US$100 million a year due to degraded habitat.
Importantly, bush encroachment creates problems for cheetah populations since it reduces hunting
efficiency, blinds eyes because of thorns, generates changes in prey species abundance and distribution
and reduces the tolerance of cheetah by farmers. CCF Bush aims to: restore cheetah habitat; empower
Namibians through education, job training and capacity building; and, provide political leverage to
implement sound conservation strategies.
Over the last five years, CCF has conducted extensive research into viable methods of bush eradication.
Ongoing studies are being conducted of the effects on vegetation species composition and structural
diversity. Cattle grazing camps are the primary study units because they are the typical management
unit for local farmers and bush clearing enterprises will likely clear entire grazing camps.
Figure 16 Bushblok product
CCF Bush has built a processing plant that converts the encroaching bush into clean burning wood fuel
(Bushblok) that are marketed in Namibia via conferences, trade, agricultural and industrial shows as well
as in the UK, South Africa, Germany and potentially the Netherlands. In 2006, a team of students from
Worcester Polytechnic Institute spent a month designing a market survey on local Bushblok sales, urban
and village households and the cost of fuel, and demonstrated the effectiveness of Bushblok burning. A
student from Colorado College conducted a cost-benefit analysis of re-locating the Bushblok factory. In
addition, a scoping study was conducted by the Cleaner Production in Namibia programme for dust
abatement in the factory.
As of the end of 2006, CCF Bush received certification from the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) for
forest management and the harvest, packaging and sale of biomass products and has maintained this
prestigious certification since. CCF Bush harvests bush on its farms, conducts environmental impact
assessments and negotiates contracts for over 2000 tonnes of Bushblok. Work is underway to increase
production and continue to train workers on heating/compression technologies.
40
Cheetah Conservation Fund’s Volunteer Guide
Cheetah Country Beef
During 2003, CCF began a predator-friendly beef initiative to provide certification to farmers who use
predator-friendly livestock management techniques and participate in habitat restoration, local
conservancies, game monitoring, limits on stock rates, removal of game fences and helping to conserve
the cheetah.
CCF has been working to market this product internationally. Farmers would be paid a premium for their
beef to farm in a holistic, sustainable manner. Studies have determined that a market exists for Cheetah
Country Beef in the EU (primarily in the UK and Scandinavia). The U.S. would be another potential
market although the USDA is still in the process of approving Namibian beef. This process is expected to
take a couple of years.
Eco-Tourism
CCF’s Research and Education Centre is open to the public seven days a week from 9am to 5pm, offering
guided tours that include the interactive cheetah museum, research facilities, a veterinary clinic and a
chance to see the non-releasable cheetahs at the centre.
Between 2003 and 2011, CCF has had eco-tourist activities using an agent in Windhoek, Nuevas Ideas for
advance bookings of special tours. CCF’s new Marketing Agent, Exclusive Reservations, has now been
positioned with the responsibility to take CCF into the future, based on the impressive portfolio of
properties that they represent all over Namibia. The CCF tourism department is also working on
improving the information and materials supplied to visitors on departure in order to encourage them to
become engaged and share their experience with their closer and wider networks once they have
returned to their homes.
CCF has enjoyed a steady increase of tourist numbers annually, despite the global financial crisis.
Activities of booked tours include:
Cheetah Run: a show of how CCF keeps its non-releasable cheetahs exercised
Elandsvreugde Safari: a guided tour through female cheetah enclosure at the CCF centre
Bellebeno Safari: a guided tour through a 64 hectare female cheetah enclosure
Little Serengeti: a sundown game viewing drive
Cheetah Ambassador Exclusive Meeting: a special opportunity to join Dr. Laurie Marker and one of the
ambassador cheetahs at the CCF Center.
41
Cheetah Conservation Fund’s Volunteer Guide
Figure 17 Marketing material of our exclusive tourist accommodation, The Babson House
Research
Previously, most cheetah research was conducted within national parks or small, private game-fenced
reserves. Prior to CCF, little research had been done on private grounds. Since coming to Namibia in
1991, Dr. Marker has worked closely with farmers to develop a management plan that benefits both the
cheetahs and the farmers. During the first few years, she surveyed more than 15% of Namibia’s
commercial livestock farmland. More than 95% of farmers, for example, were unaware of the risk of
cheetah extinction. More than 60% indicated that there was a need for greater awareness of the
cheetah’s plight and better livestock management practices that reduced predator conflict. Using this
data, Dr. Marker developed the active programs of research and environmental education.
In 1992, CCF began a full-time research programme to investigate the overall health and genetic make
up of the Namibian cheetah population. Dr. Marker asked farmers to participate in this research through
live capture of cheetahs on their farm and allowing for collection of bio-medical samples and
subsequent release. As a result, an extensive database has been developed.
In 1993, CCF began to monitor cheetah movements through farms using radio-telemetry. Radio-tracking
is a powerful tool used to show farmers actual cheetah movements through their lands and areas or
times (e.g. calving seasons) to which the cheetahs are attracted. It also shows that cheetahs range over
large areas, and an individual animal may be seen on many farms.
Health and Reproduction
CCF collaborates with other researchers and institutions from the United States, Europe, Namibia and
South Africa. Biomedical and genetic studies are in collaboration with the National Cancer Institute in
the United States, the Smithsonian’s National Zoo, and the University of California Davis. Data is
collected through blood samples, faeces, gastric biopsies and skin biopsies, and sperm collection. This
collaboration has allowed experts in genetics, reproduction, veterinary medicine, pathology and
conservation to work with CCF thus expanding the use of this valuable data.
Each year, CCF works on approximately 70 individual cheetahs, some of which come from the wild and
are largely in coalitions of males or females with cubs. Many of these are caught on livestock farms or
game farms because cheetahs were perceived to be preying on game or livestock. Those of which are
then able to be released back into the wild are done so once a suitable habitat has been found.
42
Cheetah Conservation Fund’s Volunteer Guide
Figure 18 Drs Marker and Schmidt-Küntzel undertaking surgery on a cheetah with assistance from volunteers
Over 300 semen collections from both wild and captive cheetahs are preserved in CCF’s Genome
Resource Bank to ensure the genetic variability of cheetahs.
CCF in collaboration with the National Cancer Institute has set up a genetics laboratory to train
Namibians and others in analysis of DNA using scat or hair retrieved from the field from scent marking
areas. The lab is being used in cooperation with cheetah biologists from other countries.
Ecosystem Research
Assessment of the Namibian farmland ecosystem is a part of CCF’s on-going research. The farmlands
support a rich prey base (70% of the country’s game
inhabits these areas). Through the Waterberg
Conservancy, CCF is involved in long-term monitoring of
the farmland ecosystem which includes prey availability
in order to develop management strategies. The
monitoring involves conducting visual road counts of
game at regularly measured points throughout the farm
at various times of the day, waterhole counts, cameratrap surveys, categorising vegetation types, densities
and distribution, determining the effects that alien
invasive plant species have on biodiversity, and soil
analysis. Other monitoring includes radio-tracking our
resident male cheetah, rainfall, daily temperature, and
fixed point photography. Additionally, on an annual basis in cooperation with the Waterberg
Conservancy, CCF coordinates an annual 12-hour waterhole game count. Over 100 volunteers assist
each year to monitor over 50 waterholes, and annual game density trends have been developed for the
area.
Figure 19 Counting oryx and red hartebeest on a game count
Cheetah Census Project
CCF is undertaking a cheetah census project to determine which census techniques are most
appropriate and least costly and time-consuming to determine cheetah populations as additional data
43
Cheetah Conservation Fund’s Volunteer Guide
to help influence national policy. Cheetahs are difficult to census using traditional techniques because
they are largely non-territorial, very mobile and shy and form local transitory hotspots that are nonrepresentative of overall density. The methods to be tested include camera trapping, mark recapture,
hair snaring and spoor tracking. The data will be calibrated
with estimates from a 10-year radio-telemetry study
conducted by CCF.
Figure 20 Camera trap photo of mother cheetah with cubs
The goal of the project is to confirm that camera trapping
will provide an accurate estimation of cheetah density,
identify individuals, gender, estimated age and health of
cheetahs, investigate whether spoor frequency depicts
monotonic relationship with abundance of cheetahs,
develop a model to determine cheetah occurrence and
density, determine appropriate methodology and statistical tests, disseminate results and compare the
costs for each of the methods.
Outreach and Education
CCF talks to thousands of community members each year by presenting on the role of the predator in
the ecosystem at agricultural shows, community meetings and attending conservation meetings such as
the Large Carnivore Management Association, Namibian Professional Hunters Association and CANAM.
Publicity plays an important role in conservation of the cheetah. CCF has a high media profile with
coverage by international stations such as the BBC, ABC, CBS, NBC, National Geographic, CNN and
Animal Planet. Crews from Sweden, Germany, France, South Africa, Canada, Japan, Switzerland, UK and
the US have filmed at CCF. In addition, articles on CCF have been regularly published both locally and
internationally in magazines such as Time, National Geographic, Africa Geographic, Defenders of Wildlife
and Reader’s Digest.
Farmers’ Training Courses
CCF hosts training courses for farmers and farm workers
that included integrated livestock, wildlife and natural
resource management. Topics covered in the courses
include biodiversity and conservation. Questionnaires are
administered before and after the course to determine
how well the learning concepts were understood and
implemented.
Figure 21 Farmers learning how to identify what predator has
killed their livestock
The primary targets of the training programmes are
conservancies. Each conservancy selects members to attend the workshop who would then share the
knowledge with their communities. Courses are advertised via the media and government and CCF
networks of farmers. In addition, CCF staff attends agricultural shows in communal and commercial
44
Cheetah Conservation Fund’s Volunteer Guide
farming areas to raise awareness and promote the courses and identify interested candidates.
Participants to the courses are provided with free copies of CCF’s book Cheetah Survival on Namibian
Farmlands and a training manual Guide to Integrated Livestock and Predator Management; both are
available in English and Afrikaans.
Education Programmes
CCF’s education programme began in 1991 and meets with more than 20,000 students per year through
its outreach programmes. CCF staff regularly visits schools and conducts teacher’s workshops. Annually,
some 600 youths visit and stay at CCF’s centre in the Lightfoot or Wilderness Camp. These camps were
built for the Namibian youth through the support of international youth groups such as UK’s Raleigh
International. CCF has been instrumental in the development of the Namibia Environmental Education
Network (NEEN), and has held committee membership for over 5 years. In addition, CCF publishes and
donates books to Namibian schools. The CCF Teachers Guide entitled Cheetahs: A Predator’s Role in the
Ecosystem was developed in 1994 is used throughout southern Africa.
Figure 22 CCF's museum
CCF also works with tertiary education and sponsors local and international students each term. We
have set up active in-service and field training for students from the University of Namibia, the
Polytechnic of Namibia, Ongongo Agricultural College as well as the University of Oregon (IE3 Global
Graduates) and Van Hall Larenstein University of Applied Sciences in the Netherlands. Furthermore,
many university students spend their internships at CCF. In addition, CCF invests in education for its own
staff. In 2002, Dr. Laurie Marker completed her PhD at Oxford University in the UK., Senior Researcher
Matti Nghikembua has completed his Masters in 2009, and researcher E. Fabiano has completed his
Masters and is currently pursuing a doctorate in Brazil. Gail Potgieter completed her Masters on
livestock guarding dogs in Namibia from a South African University in 2011.
International Outreach
CCF uses the results of its scientific research as the foundation for a variety of conservation and
education projects that integrate human needs with cheetah management. This three-pronged strategy
includes long-term studies to understand and monitor the factors affecting the cheetah’s survival.
45
Cheetah Conservation Fund’s Volunteer Guide
Results are used to develop conservation policies and programmes to sustain cheetah populations and
to work with local, national and international communities to raise awareness, educate and build
capacity. With the cheetah populations dwindling through most other range countries, the cheetah’s
survival depends on educated people using proven methods to reverse this trend. Many such methods
have been developed, promoted, or adopted in the last 20 years by CCF in Namibia. There was a clear
need to share this information and provide training for wildlife conservation professionals.
With this is mind, CCF, in cooperation with the Howard G. Buffett Foundation, committed to running a
number of international conservation courses over a three-year period. The courses bring together
conservation managers, scientists and community extension officers from cheetah range countries
around the world to promote a unified and systematic approach to cheetah conservation including
research, monitoring and wildlife-conflict mitigation measures.
Figure 23 International training course at CCF
CCF has developed relationships with other countries that have cheetah populations. For example, in
2001 CCF Kenya was established to set up programmes designed after CCF Namibia. In addition, Dr.
Marker has worked with people in Botswana, Zimbabwe and Iran to train and advise on cheetah
conservation issues. In South Africa, our sister organisation, Cheetah Outreach promotes cheetah
conservation through the use of “Cat Ambassadors” in education and outreach programmes, and help to
raise funds for CCF and saving the wild cheetah. CCF also has many strong links with international
institutions throughout the world which help fund our research, conservation and education
programmes and also help spread the word about cheetah conservation.
Future Programmes
CCF is a dynamic organisation and as such is developing a number of new ventures that aimed at the
survival of the cheetah species through management of its natural habitat. CCF recognises the need to
build capacity in Africa through training and creating business opportunities and believe that such
efforts are necessary for conservation to be viable and sustainable in the long term. Possible
reintroductions of cheetahs in range states where the species has currently been extirpated are also a
goal for CCF in the near-future.
46
Cheetah Conservation Fund’s Volunteer Guide
Conservancy Development
CCF’s lands border with the Waterberg Plateau Park and are within the Waterberg Conservancy. As a
partner to a protected area, the development of these lands is critical for the future of wildlife
conservation in Namibia and to function as a model for other countries. CCF has one of the largest openfield in all of Namibia (1,600 hectares or 4,000 acres), which provides grazing for hundreds of game
species. Much of CCF’s land has had cattle fencing removed prior to CCF’s acquiring the land. Over the
next few years, CCF will work with Conservancy members to re-establish other native game species
including giraffe, zebra, rhino, and springbok.
One of CCF’s farms is a game-fenced farm, which is used as a re-introduction area for game species into
the Conservancy as well as a training ground for the re-wilding of cheetah. Several game species
identified for reintroduction are already in the game fenced farm and will be selectively released over
time. A springbok reintroduction was undertaken as a major part of this game management plan. To
date, 250 springbok were introduced to the Big field, with a stable population remaining onsite.
CCF’s game fenced farm also provides further opportunities to study swing gates – a method of keeping
predators out whilst letting determined diggers, such as warthog, in. Game farmers use fencing to keep
common game (such as kudu) as well as imported exotic game (like blesbok) in and predators out. CCF
conducted a pilot project to test the effectiveness of swing gates to evaluate what species use the gates
and how diggers travel, thus determining maximum distance between gates, and how easily species can
learn to use them. We will continue to monitor new and reopened holes within the Bellebenno release
site and will be undertaking further analyses on the substrate and vegetation types around the gates to
determine whether this influences the amount of new holes made.
Rhino Custodian Programme
CCF has been working together with the Ministry of Environment and Tourism (MET) and a subset of the
Waterberg Conservancy to conserve the rhino. CCF has been asked to play a role of reintroduction of
rhino on the lands that border the Waterberg Plateau. The rhino will also function as a key draw for
ecotourism.
CCF has devoted over 14,000 hectares of its own farmlands to the cause of a rhino sanctuary. CCF is part
of the Namibian Ministry of Environment and Tourism (MET)’s Black Rhino Custodian Programme. This
programme fits perfectly with CCF’s goals for its own land, which include the preservation of indigenous
species and biodiversity, with a focus on endangered species such as the cheetah and the black
rhinoceros. In 2011, a calf was born and they continue to be monitored via camera traps.
CCF’s monitoring programmes provide ongoing protection for these critically endangered animals. Trail
cameras are deployed across the reserve at key points that include waterholes, dung middens, game
trails and roads. Volunteers are able to join rhino monitoring activities whilst at CCF.
47
Cheetah Conservation Fund’s Volunteer Guide
Figure 24 Photo taken of a black rhino using a camera trap
Useful Resources
Cheetah Conservation Fund
www.cheetah.org
www.cheetah.org.uk
Additional Reading Material
Beardsall, J. (Apr. 2005): “Survival of the Fastest”, The Daily Telegraph UK
Butler, V. (Fall, 1999): Cheetahs: The Race for Their Lives. Defenders of Wildlife USA
Cats and Dogs in Namibia. Africa – Environment and Wildlife Vol.8, No. 9 (Oct. 2000)
Cats and Dogs Working Together. Sky News (October 2005). Available online at
www.sky.com/skynews/video/videoplayer/0,,31200-cheetah_p837,00.html#
Cheetah Survival on Namibian Farmlands. Wildlife and Conservation (Jan. 1999)
Conniff, R. (Dec.1999): Cheetahs: Ghosts of the Grasslands National Geographic Vol. 196,
No. 6 USA
Du Troit, J. (Oct. 2000): Cheetahs Never Prosper. Maxim
Giving Cheetahs a Chance. Wildlife Explorer (Jan/Feb. 2000)
Guard Dogs Help to Save the Cheetah’s Lives. Your Dog (July, 2000)
Heroes for the Planet. TIME (April 15, 2000) USA
Jackson, Tim: Namibia's Cheetahs. Africa Geographic Magazine. August 2009.
Kiddle, J. (May 2006): “Cheating the Odds” The Scotsman Magazine, UK, Available online
at www.thescotsman.scotsman.com/magazine.cfm?id=657402006
McCarthy, T. (Aug. 2004): “Saving the Big Cats”, TIME USA. Available online at
www.time.com/time/archive/preview/0,10987,994921,00.html
Marker, L. and Sivamani, S.: "Policy for Human-Leopard Conflict Management in India." Cat News Nr.
50, Spring 2009
48
Cheetah Conservation Fund’s Volunteer Guide
Netting, J.F. (Mar. 2005): “Discover Dialogue: Conservationist Laurie Marker Cat Woman's Fast
Company”, Discover Magazine, 26(3). Available online at
www.discover.com/issues/mar-05/departments/discover-dialogue/
Raffaele, P. (Sept.1999): To Save Cheetah Readers Digest USA
Smith, L. How Man's Best Friend is Saving Endangered Big Cat. The Times (UK). Dec. 26, 2008
Travel Guidebooks
Lonely Planet: www.lonelyplanet.com/worldguide/destinations/africa/namibia/
Online Travel Guide: www.namibia-travel.net/
Travel and Online Airline Booking Resources
TravelNotes.org: www.1800-fly.com
World Travel Guide: www.worldtravelguide.com
Cheap Flights:
www.travelix.com
www.discountair.com
www.kayak.com
www.orbitz.com
www.expedia.com
Third World Traveler: www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Travel/Travel_Links.html
For those volunteers/visitors who wish to extend their stay, and see a little more of the region we
recommend you contact our partner travel company ATI Holidays at ccf-travel@infotour-africa.com
They offer fantastic travel advice and safaris right across Southern Africa, including Botswana, Zambia,
South Africa, Mozambique and of course Namibia. Choose from self-drive, fly-in or guided options, and
for every confirmed booking they make a donation back towards CCF’s great work! Third
Health Information
Centre for Disease Control: www.cdc.gov
Disease outbreaks: www.who.int/csr/don/en
Hospital for Tropical Diseases: www.thehtd.org
Travel Health website: www.mdtravelhealth.com
US Travel Clinic Directory: www.astmh.org/publications/clinics.cfm
World Health Organization: www.who.int/en/
Other General Information
ATM locator: http://visa.via.infonow.net/locator/global/jsp/SearchPage.jsp
Country Reports - country information from around the world: www.countryreports.org
Currency converter: www.xe.com/ucc
Electrical current converter: www.converterstore.com/voltage_chart.htm
Exhaustive list of weather resources: cirrus.sprl.umich.edu/wxnet/servers.html
Heat index (temperature, dewpoint and relative humidity):
www.weatherimages.org/data/heatindex.html
National Geographic Map Machine: www.plasma.nationalgeographic.com/mapmachine
49
Cheetah Conservation Fund’s Volunteer Guide
Online unit conversions: www.onlineconversion.com
Telephone dialling from and to anywhere: www.kropla.com/dialcode.htm
US State Department: www.state.gov
World Time Server: www.worldtimeserver.com or worldbuddy.com
Worldwide weather: www.worldweather.com, www.wunderground.com or
www.tutiempo.net/en/
50
Cheetah Conservation Fund’s Volunteer Guide