Mallex Shipanga
Namibia, which is home to the world’s largest wild cheetah population, was in the global spotlight on International Cheetah Day, celebrated annually on 4 December.
This year, the occasion coincided with the premiere of “Return of the Cheetah,” a new documentary on the Discovery Channel, which highlights critical conservation efforts in Namibia.
The country is home to between 2 500 and 3 500 cheetahs, the largest population of free-ranging cheetahs in the world.
The film follows biologist, Hazen Audel as he travels to Namibia to collaborate with Laurie Marker and the Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF).
“It’s a celebration of the progress we’ve made, but also a reminder of the urgent work still ahead,” said Marker.
Founded in Namibia in 1990, the CCF has spearheaded initiatives to tackle threats like habitat loss, human-wildlife conflict, and the illegal wildlife trade.
The documentary showcases the innovative methods used by CCF, including a poignant scene of a rehabilitated cheetah being released into the wild.
The CCF exists to save cheetahs in the wild through conservation and research.
Marker is the founder and executive director of the CCF.
She was inspired to conserve cheetahs in Namibia after her 1977 trip to the country during which she researched rewilding captive-born cheetahs.
Here, Marker discovered that livestock farmers were slaughtering hundreds of wild cheetahs annually.
“We always think there’s someone else who will do something, that ‘they’ will take care of it. I realised early in my work that there is no ‘they,’ and so I decided that I would take action to save the cheetah from extinction,” said Marker.
Fewer than 7 500 cheetahs remain in the wild today, with Namibia holding a critical role in their survival.
Marker, who is also a global leader in community-based conservation and habitat restoration, explains the ecological importance of cheetahs.
“Protecting cheetahs safeguards biodiversity, strengthens rangelands, and promotes sustainable human development. International Cheetah Day is not just a celebration of cheetahs but a call to the world to join us in this fight,” says Marker.
