Protecting endangered animals - AFRI Cat Foundation

As we left Etosha and made our way west, the day I was dreading was upon us. As a biology major focused on wildlife conservation, the thought of animals roaming "free" in an enclosed area was saddening. But here we were approaching AFRI Cat a cheetah sanctuary. https://africat.org/.

Namibia is one of the least populated countries in Africa. Outside of tourism the major exports are mining, fishing and agriculture. Farmers would hunt and trap predators which decimated the big cat population. To combat this issue wildlife areas including AFRI Cat were set up as animal sanctuaries.

Over the years AFRI Cat’s work has included rescue, release and care of predators, cheetah rehabilitation and environmental education. Today, there are five remaining cheetahs, and the focus has shifted away from care of the big cats towards education and wildlife preservation.

Through the education program of AFRI Cat and my time at Leo Africa, I started to understand the necessity for animal sanctuaries as breeding and release programs.