WCN Wildlife Conservation Network | Cheetah Conservation Botswana

Rebecca Klein

When Rebecca Klein moved to Botswana in 2001 to work at the Mokolodi Nature Reserve, she cared for two orphaned cheetah brothers who had lost their mother due to conflict with farmers. Upon discovering that there were no conservation efforts underway to protect Botswana’s cheetahs, Rebecca decided to take action and develop solutions for farmers and cheetahs to coexist.

Threats

Due to conflict with humans, cheetah numbers have plummeted by 90% in the last century. Botswana has one of the last free-ranging cheetah populations in the world, making it an essential stronghold for the future of the species. Unable to compete with healthy populations of more powerful predators in reserves, Botswana’s cheetahs are forced to live closer to villages where human/predator conflict jeopardizes their survival.

Solutions

Cheetah Conservation Botswana (CCB) cultivates a conservation ethic among farmers in Botswana while contributing important scientific data to the international cheetah conservation effort. Demonstrating predator-proof farming techniques in local workshops, live theater and video production, CCB empowers farmers to secure their livelihoods while sharing land with cheetahs. CCB is developing "demonstration farms" that highlight sustainable and innovative techniques.

Cheetah Cubs Saved in Botswana

The years of hard work and diligence of Cheetah Conservation Botswana’s field team was recently rewarded with the recovery of two young cheetah cubs. CCB has been working closely with farmers and the greater community in southern Botswana to better understand their needs and lifestyles, while sharing information about predators, livestock management and conservation. Although CCB occasionally encounters resistance from the community, they also see an emerging tolerance for living with predators that gives them hope. More