{"id":17025,"date":"2026-11-05T12:09:44","date_gmt":"2026-11-05T12:09:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/explorersagainstextinction.co.uk\/blog\/?p=17025"},"modified":"2026-11-05T12:56:15","modified_gmt":"2026-11-05T12:56:15","slug":"the-return-of-the-cheetah-new-hope-for-africas-fastest-cat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/explorersagainstextinction.co.uk\/blog\/the-return-of-the-cheetah-new-hope-for-africas-fastest-cat\/","title":{"rendered":"The Return of the Cheetah: New Hope for Africa’s Fastest Cat"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

From Zimbabwe’s Zambezi Valley to Zambia’s Luangwa wilderness, two ambitious conservation initiatives are offering fresh hope for one of Africa’s most threatened big cats.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The cheetah may be the fastest land animal on Earth, but it is losing the race for survival across much of its former range.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, the cheetah has disappeared from approximately 90% of its historical range. The IUCN Cat Specialist Group estimates that around 6,500 mature individuals remain in the wild, although significant uncertainty surrounds population estimates in some regions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Habitat loss, declining prey populations, competition with larger predators, conflict with people and increasingly fragmented landscapes have all contributed to the cheetah’s decline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Recent developments in Zimbabwe and Zambia bring fresh hope for this much-loved cat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Zimbabwe: Cheetahs Return to the Zambezi Valley<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In Zimbabwe’s spectacular Zambezi Valley, cheetahs are returning through a combination of natural dispersal <\/strong>and carefully managed conservation efforts<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2025, conservationists relocated 16 cheetahs from South Africa to Panyame Conservancy in northwestern Mozambique, close to the borders with Zimbabwe and Zambia. Of the 16 cheetahs translocated, 14 survived their first year. Several dispersed into neighbouring Zimbabwe, while the birth of three cubs in Panyame in April 2026 offers another encouraging sign for the project.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bugatti, a female originally from Amakhala Game Reserve in South Africa, was one of the cheetahs to disperse. She tracked west to the Sapi Private Reserve, adjoining Mana Pools National Park, and has reportedly been seen since around Ruckomechi.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A coalition of three males, known as the Kalahari Boys, also travelled hundreds of kilometres into the Mana Pools landscape before returning to Mozambique.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Their journeys demonstrate the importance of large, connected wilderness areas, allowing wildlife to disperse naturally and potentially establish new populations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sapi private Reserve, Zimbabwe<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Great Plains Conservation has been undertaking an ambitious restoration of the Sapi Private Reserve through its Project Rewild<\/strong> initiative.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Covering approximately 128,000 hectares east of Mana Pools, Sapi forms part of the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Mana Pools and Sapi-Chewore landscape. Once a hunting concession, the reserve is being transformed into a protected wildlife haven, with Great Plains’ Tembo Plains Camp providing a base for responsible safari tourism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Tembo Plains Camp, Zimbabwe
Nestled in thick riverine forest on the banks of the Zambezi River, Tembo Plains Camp lies within the 128,000-hectare Sapi Private Reserve, east of Mana Pools National Park.
Image: Great Plains Conservation<\/em><\/sub><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Restoration involves far more than simply moving animals. Great Plains, working alongside Zimbabwe’s wildlife authorities and other conservation partners, has been rebuilding wildlife populations, improving infrastructure, strengthening anti-poaching operations and monitoring the recovery of the ecosystem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2022, 101 elephants and 184 impala were relocated approximately 1,000 kilometres from the Sav\u00e9 Valley Conservancy in southern Zimbabwe, where wildlife numbers had exceeded the area’s capacity. In 2025, another important milestone followed when 17 African wild dogs were released into Sapi.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The programme also creates opportunities for people. Great Plains has invested in ranger recruitment and training, including female wildlife rangers, alongside wildlife monitoring and conservation-related employment. The development of safari tourism adds further opportunities for jobs and skills, helping demonstrate the economic value of protecting wildlife and wild places.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An Unexpected Start for Six New Arrivals<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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