Cheetah Energetics Study

Saturday I was on cheetah watch in the morning, this was the day they were to be released from the boma. We, the volunteers and myself, arrived to find them lying relaxed in the sun trying to get some warmth. After a while they got up and started walking lapse around the perimeter of the boma. I could tell they were feeling pent up and were not happy to be in there. Their patrol turned in to pacing back and forth and each time they walked past us they would give a low warning growl.

Soon Kobus, the reserve manager, showed up with a dead impala and it was time to release the cheetah. They dropped the impala outside the boma and the cheetah ran out and just dragged it back in so they had to go back in take the impala off the cheetah and try again. Not an easy task to take food from a hungry cheetah. Jabu and Djuma growled and charged at each attempt to remove the impala but eventually we got it away. We dropped it outside the boma again and as they came out to grab it we shut the gate. They tried to pull it back in but when they hit the fence they dragged it to another shady spot and began to feast. We sat for the rest of the morning as they tore into the impala.

Alex came to take over the afternoon watch and as we were driving back to base we saw two female leopards crossing the road in front of us. A perfect ending to a very eventful morning.

Cheetah Darting

Another amazing opportunity has arrived at GVI. We have been asked to carry out a study on the energy expenditure of the cheetahs on our reserve. It sounds so scientific and in fact it is but for us it basically means walking with the two cheetah boys, Jabu and Djuma, from sunrise to sunset, recording their behaviour and collecting urine and scat samples.

Tuesday we darted the cheetah to inject them with something called "heavy water", at this time they were also put an implant in them for tracking and removed Jabu's collar replacing it with a temporary one for the study. We were originally told we would not be their for the surgery but then in the morning we were allowed to come and watch. It was very much like when we darted Zero, our male lion, helping to roll the cheetah, Jabu, over and making sure his paws didn't get in the way. The surgery itself only took about a half hour. I got to hold Jabu's head while they lifted him from the table and laid him in the shade getting a bit of Cheetah drool on my hand in the process. Alex then took first watch over them while they were in the boma. Not much happened after that as they were still sleeping from the drugs but I look forward to my first walk with them.