Cheetah Project @ Emdoneni Lodge

On our way back from Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Game Reserve to Umdloti, in the north of Durban, we stopped at the Emdoneni Lodge to visit the Cheetah Project. Being huge cats lovers we were really looking forward to be so close to these beautiful animals.

This special project is about caring for Cheetahs, Serval Cats, African Wildcats and Caracal (Lynx), which have been orphaned or injured in the wild and are in need of care and rehabilitation.

We joined the up close and personal tour and had an amazing guide, she really did a great job in teaching a lot of information about the cats and you could feel and literally see the deep connection she has to her fosterlings.

Our Tour started with Cheetah and we were introduced to Moya a beautiful male. He was totally relaxed laying in the grass with a trainer next to him, waiting for our little group to join them. During the Q&A we were allowed to take pictures of and with Moya, what an amazing feeling to hear him purr so close. A dream came true on this day.

Next stop of our tour was the compound of a Serval Cat, the little guys just having his lunch and was completely occupied by his chicken. We then got to know Diego, a Caracal male, who lived on a farm before. In South Africa you are allowed to have Caracals at home as pets, even though one should know better. As a result Diego destroyed the interior of his owners house and ate the family dog. Karma? He is definitely in better hands now. Last but not least we met someone we have met earlier, before the tour started. Willow, an African Wildcat who is thinking she's a house cat. Being the smallest of the bunch of four, she always manages to get out of the compound to entertain the guests and get some cuddles.

The Main aim of the Cheetah project is the intent to breed the above mentioned species successfully to help saving them from extinction. Right now, the remaining Cheetah population is below 7.000. The idea is to release the offspring of their "embassador animals" back into their natural habitat. It was explained to us, that this is unfortunately not as easy as it sounds, because 70% of male Cheetahs born in captivitiy are sterile and the females are very picky concerning their partners. But one should never give up and especially not on such a great cause.

We loved the tour and keep our fingers crossed, that this project will succeed and can support the preservation of these beautiful animals.