November 1996

King cheetah born at Hoedspruit Centre

Boasting the arrival of two king cheetah cubs, is the Hoedspruit Research and Breeding Centre for Endangered Species.

The king cheetah was only described for the first time in 1927 by Reginald Innes Pocock. He thought it to be a unique African species and named it Acinonyx rex. Research done between 1980 and 1989 at the De Wildt Cheetah Research Centre in conjunction with the Pretoria National Zoological Gardens, confirmed that the king cheetah coat pattern is merely the result from a mutation of the tabby gene. The king cheetah is identified by three dorsal stripes and irregular blotches all over flanks.

The shy, and seldom seen king cheetah occurs in the northern and north-eastern parts of South Africa and in adjoining areas in Zimbabwe and eastern Botswana. A king cheetah skin recovered in 1988 from a poacher in eastern Burkina Faso, is the only record of a King cheetah outside Southern Africa. According to Prof Dave Meltzer, holder of the Price Forbes Chair in Wildlife Diseases, there are an estimated thirty-five king cheetahs living in captivity throughout the world and less than ten free-living king cheetahs.

On 27 April 1996, the day South Africa remembered the birth of a new nation, the staff of the Centre celebrated the birth of two king cheetah cubs. Prior to this joyous event, the Centre sheltered three adult king cheetahs.

In March 1996 veterinary surgeon Dr Peter Rogers announced the king cheetah female's pregnancy and a wonderful hope arose: the possibility of the female giving birth to a king cheetah. On the expected day of delivery, owner of the Centre, Lente Roode, observed the female's action from a safe distance and late that afternoon it was confirmed: four cheetah cubs were born of which two were kings.

Fourteen days after the birth of the cubs, the female appeared disturbed and carried the cubs out of the enclosed building where they were born. For fear of losing all the cubs, one of the king cheetahs was taken away to be hand-raised. The staff of the Centre kept a close watch over the female and the three remaining cubs. After noticing blesbuck activity close to the cheetah nest, they had the buck transferred to another part of the Centre, whereafter the female settled down and carried the three cubs back into the nest. After being separated from its mother, the king cheetah cub, Sebeka - as it was named, started a new adventurous life in Pretoria, close to Lente Roode and Onderstepoort.

At the age of six months, Sebeka will stay behind at the Centre and, being one of only a few fabled king cheetah, will one day show its spots and stripes to visitors at the Hoedspruit Centre.

The Bald Ibis

(and no, we are not being rude)

As part of the Pretoria National Zoo's breeding program for bald ibises, the Hoedspruit Research and Breeding Centre for Endangered Species is currently taking care of three breeding pairs.

The ibis' natural habitat is high grass veld, heavily grazed pastures and cultivated lands. They feed on insects, snails, worms, frogs, small mammals and birds. Breeding occurs in July to October on a platform of sticks as nest. Their eggs are pale blue with brown spots. Although out of danger, the bald ibis is still listed on the red data list.

Dr Rogers: the circus master

In September 1996 three tigers and six lions were confiscated by the Mozambique Government after a circus owner was found guilty abandoning the animals. The animals were brought to the Hoedspruit Research and Breeding Centre for Endangered Species and are being taken care of until further adoption arrangements have been made.

Dr Peter Rogers, veterinary surgeon at the Hoedspruit Centre, had to treat the animals for wounds caused by neglect. Currently the animals are doing well and Dr Rogers was forced to admit: "Never a dull moment at the Hoedspruit Centre!"

An infant tsessebe was found abandoned on Kapama Game Reserve and rescued by an observant game ranger.

Little Tessa was brought to the Centre and was welcomed by hands holding bottles filled with milk. She is fed every three hours and at the fragile age of three weeks is very lively and doing well.

Once she's been weaned, Tessa will be released in a 20 hectare enclosure at the Hoedspruit Research and Breeding Centre for Endangered Species.

Hope for the African wild cat

The African wild cat breeding pair received on a breeding loan from Pretoria National Zoo are the proud parents of to newborn kittens. The kittens are curently being hand-raised by Ms Lente Roode. According to the loan agreement, the first offspring will stay at the Centre.

The young and the restless

A few weeks ago the staff of the Hoedspruit Research and Breeding Centre for Endangered Species witnessed an amazing sight: Free-living ground hornbills flocking around the cage of the young ground hornbills living at the Centre. After a while, the free living birds started feeding their younger counterparts through the fence. Being lovers of nature and wishing that all animals could live wild and free, this sight touched the very hearts of those who observed it.

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