South Africa Translocates Six Cheetahs to Zambia in Species Reintroduction Programme
South Africa has relocated six cheetahs to Zambia's greater Luangwa ecosystem, where the species has been absent for nearly 30 years, in the first phase of a long-term reintroduction programme led by Zambia's Department of National Parks and Wildlife. The Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) confirmed the translocation on Wednesday, noting that the animals were carefully selected from South Africa's managed cheetah metapopulation based on genetic diversity and demographics, and underwent quarantine before being flown to a remote section of North Luangwa National Park.
The cheetahs have been released into a 2,000-hectare predator-proof sanctuary to acclimatise before being introduced into the broader ecosystem, with each animal fitted with a satellite-tracking collar for ongoing monitoring. A further six cheetahs are expected to be translocated later this year. Zambia's Ministry of Tourism described the arrivals as a major milestone in the country's wildlife conservation and ecosystem restoration efforts. The initiative comes as the IUCN classifies cheetahs as vulnerable, with an estimated global population of around 6,500 mature individuals - a figure that has declined by approximately 37% over the past 15 years due to habitat loss, human - wildlife conflict, and illegal wildlife trade.
Source: Sunday World
