The Plight of Africa’s Cheetah
Despite being classified as a CITES Appendix I endangered species, cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) numbers have dropped from about 100,000 in 1900 to probably 6,800 today. Of these, only about 2,000 live in protected areas. Is there a need for captive cheetah breeding programmes, and if so, how do these programmes contribute to species conservation? To find answers, I met with Chantal Rischard, co-founder of Cheetah Experience Ashia for a guided tour of this wildlife sanctuary located in Paarl, Cape Town.
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Conservation and Tourism: A Symbiotic Imperative
Sustainable tourism is taking centre stage as South Africa looks to post-Covid-19 recovery. Wahida Parker, the Managing Director of Table Mountain Aerial Cableway Company (TMACC), believes the time has come to bring about change within the tourism sector as the industry gears up to recover from the global coronavirus pandemic. “It is important that the intrinsic symbiosis between tourism and conservation is recognised,” she says. “In an effort to protect Table Mountain, TMACC formed a partnership with SANParks…
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Exploring Game Capacity at Big Five Reserves
Do some game reserves provide more Big Five sighting opportunities than others? And if so, why? Cramming a lot of wildlife into a confined area would ensure frequent sightings of different game species, but tourists don’t travel to Africa to visit a zoo. Tourists also want to know that they are on safari where the game viewing is sustainable. They come to experience Africa’s wildlife roaming free in their natural habitat – specifically the Big Five (Cape buffalo, elephant, leopard, and rhinoceros).
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