We previously reported on two orphaned cheetah cubs that had entered the Cheetah Conservation Botswana (CCB) rehabilitation programme. The two cubs named Tlotlo (‘respect’) and Kgotso (‘peace’) came to CCB when they were 6 months old. The cubs had been caught by a farmer in Southern Botswana, efforts were made to locate their mother, but unfortunately failed. The cubs moved to the CCB Ghanzi camp in March 2009 and have grown considerably and are doing well. When first arriving at CCB Kgotla was under weight and was suffering from a respiratory infection. He has since recovered and is now the more boisterous and aggressive of the cubs.

The cubs are being raised with minimum contact with humans in order to prepare them for life in the wild. They remain aggressive at feeding times and will soon begin the process of learning to hunt. We hope to release the cubs when they are approximately 18 months old, the same age at which they would leave their mother in the wild.

The cubs have also made a big impression on the people from the village where they were caught. CCB has been invited to hold an educational workshop for the community and our education and community officers will be visiting the village later this month.

n April 2008 Cheetah Conservation Botswana released a leopard cub named ‘Botshelo’ meaning life, back into the wild. The cub has been confiscated from a farmer by the Botswana Department of Wildlife and National Parks (DWNP) and placed in the care of CCB in October 2006 when she was approximately 3 months old. She was kept isolated from human contact and soon developed into a young, playful leopard. At 18 months old she was fitted with a satellite collar donated by SPOTS and released into the wild. Now over one year later, the leopard is continuing to do well. Through her satellite collar information regarding movements and habitat use has been collected, adding to the knowledge of leopard ecology and the success of rehabilitation techniques. The leopard currently occupies a home range of over 550 km2 and has caused no known damage or threat to livestock. The leopard will continue to be monitored until September when her collar will automatically drop off and be retrieved by CCB.