Heat, telemetry and know-how: The cheetah gets a new collar

Cheetahs are among the most vulnerable and endangered wild cats in Africa, are particularly worthy of protection, and are therefore of particular concern to the Madikwe Reserve and Rhulani Safari Lodge. We regularly support measures to protect and maintain the cheetah population, and did so a few days ago when we put a new tracking collar on a male cheetah.

This special action was exclusively supported by Rhulani and by our guest Mrs. D'Angelo, who visited us in July this year and spontaneously made a contribution to wildlife conservation in the reserve.

As we set out on that sunny October morning, there are some challenges, which are tricky even for a professional like Philip Hattingh from Madikwe Wildlife Foundation Trust, who leads the mission together with the ecologist, the vet and some helpers.

First, the cheetah has to be found, which in a reserve as large as Madikwe, covering 75,000 hectares, is about as difficult as finding a needle in a haystack. But thanks to calmness, experience and the help of telemetry, the animal can be found, well hidden, in the shade of a thorny bush, far away from the roads, difficult to access.

"The transmitter signals, however, misled us for a while and we went in the wrong direction," says Philip, but he adds with a smile: "At least now everyone knows why the collar has to be replaced."

Another challenge is the blazing sun at midday at almost 37°C, as well as the one and a half hour journey to the upper corner of Madikwe, in the far northeast. Rhulani’s head Ranger Alasdair has to pack a lot of water for all of us and can prove that he knows the reserve like the back of his hand.

But the excitement of an extraordinary adventure quickly makes you forget the heat and the long journey. Even the temporary confusion about the possible whereabouts of the cheetahs while searching in circles can no longer affect us, and by the time the vet points his gun with the tranquilizer syringe at the unsuspecting animal, everyone is wide awake again.

The shot is perfect. And look there, there are actually two cheetahs running away! The right one was hit by the dart and walks around uncertainly for a while, while his brother hides somewhere nearby.

We give the animal about five minutes and watch it lie down comfortably in the shade of another bush. It might get up again if it gets too stressed, so we wait a while longer until the experts arrive to verify the anesthesia is working.

Now we come over and look up close at one of the most beautiful mammals on the African continent. The beautiful, spotted fur, the slim, flawless body, the long, flat tail, which acts like a rudder for changing direction when hunting.

But everything has to happen quickly. The cheetah is injected with vitamins while the new collar is expertly fitted. Everything is going according to plan. The animal is breathing calmly and steadily. It is conscious, but it just cannot move.

And the operation is over. One last photo, then back to the vehicle, and another injection wakes the cheetah up again.

Still a little confused and unsure, the elegant cat stands on its long, slender legs and walks around a little wobbly and aimlessly. But soon everything is back to normal and the cheetah draws attention to itself with a special bark. He is calling for his brother, who had been hiding somewhere nearby the whole time.

How nice to witness this moment where the two brothers are reunited and it seems as if nothing has happened.

It's time for us to take a break, with sandwiches, fresh fruits and drinks from the cooler box. The impressions of today will stay with us for a long time and our contented thoughts are with these beautiful cheetahs, while we are driving home with the sun that still burns down on us.