If you're a climber like me, you know that feeling. That total freedom, that feeling when you send a project or even just finally nail a tough move. It's nerve wracking, draining, fulfilling, and elating all at once. I think a lot of people here at CCF are feeling something similar now. Over the past few days some big changes have happened. We did what we are all here for - to release cheetahs back into the wild. Cheetahs here at CCF are candidates for released if they come to us 6 months of age or older. Any younger than that, and they haven't been taught by mom how and what to hunt, and what to fear. Thye often need too much hands-on contact from vets and keepers to develop a healthy fear of people. Thankfully, we had 8 cats who came to us at various older stages in their lives. The 4 females and 4 males have been taken to Erindi, a private game reserve. They are currently in several 100 hectare pens acclimating to the new environment and being monitored before a full release, but they are doing well.

Prior to release, we did general health workups on all 8 cats and sperm collection from the 4 males. Our amazing vet Robin asked me to vet assist in this process. I have seen several cheetah workups since I arrived at CCF, but never had the privilege of helping with one. Having been a vet assistant since I was 16 and having been in dog rescue since I was 13, I've seen some amazing things….. I think this takes the cake. These animals are a unique combination of powerful and slight, with thin long but underlyingly muscular bodies, and monitoring them, feeling them up close…. I gotta say it felt a lot like crushing a tough climbing project. It makes me even angrier at the plight of the cheetah. They truly are such a beautiful and well adapted creature. Most cheetahs that come to CCF are young cubs whose mothers were shot, captured, snared, or killed by another predator and many of the rest come to us from someone who tried to keep them as a pet. At the moment CCF has over 30 cheetahs, only 2 of which are release candidates now that the 8 have begun their journey back into the wild.

Born Free, the story of George and Joy Adamson releasing a domesticated lion back into the wild successfully has always stuck with me. I watched the movie at a very young age and later on read the book(s) and researched about their lives. This kind of work has been going on for a long time. Many people argue that saving one cheetah doesn't make a difference for the population as a whole but I disagree. The combined efforts of geneticists, vets, ecologists, and even sociologists are helping keep species like the cheetah wild, which is what they deserve. And honestly, even if we were only able to save one cheetah, I think everyone here at CCF would work just as hard as they are to try and save the whole species, if that demonstrates how special these animals are.