CHEETAH CONSERVATION BOTSWANA

  • Home
  • About us
    • Who we are
    • About Cheetahs
    • Founders
    • Where We Are
    • Supporters
    • Collaborators
    • Contact Us
  • What we do
    • Scientific Research
    • Farming For Conservation
    • Engagement & Awareness
    • Communities for Conservation
  • Get Involved
    • Donate
    • Log a Cheetah Sighting
    • Work with CCB
    • Study with CCB
    • Fundraising
  • Resources
    • Annual Reports
    • Financial Reports
    • Educational Resources
    • Information for Farmers
    • Photo Gallery
  • News
  • Donate
  • Shop
  • Home
  • About us
    • Who we are
    • About Cheetahs
    • Founders
    • Where We Are
    • Supporters
    • Collaborators
    • Contact Us
  • What we do
    • Scientific Research
    • Farming For Conservation
    • Engagement & Awareness
    • Communities for Conservation
  • Get Involved
    • Donate
    • Log a Cheetah Sighting
    • Work with CCB
    • Study with CCB
    • Fundraising
  • Resources
    • Annual Reports
    • Financial Reports
    • Educational Resources
    • Information for Farmers
    • Photo Gallery
  • News
  • Donate
  • Shop

Passing of Legolas

10/1/2015

0 Comments

 
Picture
​We are very sad to report that one of our most beloved research cats, Legolas, has been shot and killed beside the A2 Highway in the west of Botswana. Legolas has been intensively studied by our team since 2014 and was one of the biggest cheetahs ever caught at a whopping 68.5kg. Legolas and two of his three other coalition members were collared by CCB’s research team in July 2014 and the data obtained from their state-of-the-art collars has revolutionised the study of cheetahs’ collaborative hunting techniques, which until now, had been largely unknown.
The fact that his body was discovered on the side of the highway, along with the shotgun cartridge indicates that Legolas was opportunistically killed and was unlikely to be causing a direct threat to livestock. CCB staff are devastated by this news. We at CCB have always sympathised with the farmers who have problems with predators, but this unprovoked attack is really unnecessary. Considering the declining populations of cheetahs in Africa, the death of any cheetah is concerning, but the loss of such an iconic, record-breaking cheetah who contributed so much to the knowledge of this species, is truly devastating.
Because he was killed on public land, shot in an area devoid of livestock and his body abandoned rather than delivered to wildlife authorities as required, this killing qualifies as a poaching case and is being investigated accordingly. Our entire team and those who were lucky enough to have worked and studied this magnificent animal are all in mourning in the wake of this needless attack. Of the seven cheetahs that were collared in the research project last July, three have been confirmed to have been shot (43%). Considering that the number of cheetahs being shot is likely to be much higher than reported, the rates of off-take are of great concern. Legolas’s death has been heartbreaking for the CCB team, but it has also reinforced our need to continue to fight to save this threatened species. Clearly there is still a lot of work that needs to be done.

0 Comments
    join our mailing list

    Search

    Archives

    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    February 2022
    December 2021
    September 2021
    June 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    August 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011
    December 2010
    November 2010
    October 2010
    August 2010
    July 2010
    June 2010
    May 2010
    March 2010
    September 2009
    August 2009
    July 2009
    June 2009
    March 2009
    January 2009
    November 2008
    October 2008
    September 2008
    June 2008
    May 2008
    April 2008
    February 2008
    January 2008
    December 2007
    November 2007
    October 2007
    April 2007

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Picture
Website by LiveImpact Nonprofit Technology