Makulu Makete is a Cheetah Conservation Area for the relocation of wild cheetahs which are released into the reserve after spending three months in a special enclosure (called a "boma") where they are habituated to their new environment and the non-threatening presence of human beings. They also learn to respect the "Big 5" electric fence which surrounds the reserve. Wearing radio collars, they resume their life as wild cheetahs, successfully hunting for themselves. Two litters of wild cheetah cubs have been born at Makulu Makete, the first in February 2006, and the second in November 2006. (See Bush Diary for March, April and December 2006). Bubbles Website.

From 2008 onwards Makulu Makete has been the location for a project to "rewild" captive-born cheetahs. Six captive-bred cheetahs have participated in the project, sadly not all of which survived. The final stage of the project involves a captive-bred female (Phoenix) who is successfully hunting and fending for herself after being released into the reserve, and a wild male cheetah (Stud). This stage will be considered a success if Phoenix can produce cubs, raise them and teach them to hunt as wild cheetahs. Using telemetry, the cheetahs are monitored on foot on a daily basis by our staff, who record their location, condition, behaviour, hunting skills and kills. The data collected for the project is being used as the basis for academic papers. Our Bush Diary contains monthly updates on the progress of Phoenix and Stud.

CHEETAH META-POPULATION PARTICIPATION

All natural or conservation habitats of a suitable size to support a viable number of cheetahs in South Africa, currently have functioning populations, and so are suitable for introducing further animals. There are, however, a great many smaller reserves, such as Makulu Makete, that are too small to hold a sustainable population by themselves, but are suitable habitat for cheetahs. By introducing smaller numbers to many of these reserves, and managing the population carefully, another viable population can be created in South Africa. This so-called meta-population is physically scattered across the country, but genetically continuous by being managed as a whole. As appropriate, individuals may be moved between Makulu Makete and other meta-population reserves to ensure genetic diversity. This effectively greatly expands the area available to cheetahs in South Africa, by including reserves that would previously have been considered too small. An added bonus for cheetahs is that one of the major threats to their survival is also addressed. They have very low genetic diversity, which puts them at high risk of diseases wiping out an entire population. By being separated into many sub-populations, this prevents spread of disease, should it occur, as only healthy animals are ever moved from one reserve to another.