In a collaborative conservation success, the Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT), in partnership with The Bateleurs and provincial authorities, has successfully relocated a female cheetah from Buffelsdrift Game Reserve in the Western Cape to Ukuzwana Game Reserve in Mpumalanga. This critical move, carried out on Wednesday, 30 April 2025, marks a major step in establishing a new cheetah breeding population in the province.
What would have been a gruelling 30-hour, 3,000 km road trip was transformed into a seamless 5.5-hour flight thanks to the generous support of volunteer pilot Nick Lincoln, flying his Baron G58 Beechcraft on behalf of The Bateleurs, and the dedicated efforts of Olivia Sievert, EWT’s Cheetah Range Expansion Coordinator.
The mission, which began over the Freedom Day weekend, was not without its logistical challenges. After initial plans to use a smaller aircraft were thwarted by crate dimensions, Lincoln stepped in to reroute the operation, ensuring the mission could proceed with the necessary space and safety requirements.
The cheetah was safely sedated and loaded during a break in rainy Karoo weather, and by mid-afternoon had touched down in Piet Retief, where she was received by the Ukuzwana team. She now joins a coalition of males relocated in February, laying the foundation for a second breeding population of cheetahs in Mpumalanga outside of the Greater Kruger area.
This relocation was made possible through the generous collaboration of multiple stakeholders. EWT extends heartfelt thanks to Ikhala Veterinary Clinic, Wildest Vet, Buffelsdrift and Lalibela Game Reserves, the Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency, and the Ukuzwana Witbad Foundation for their unwavering support and commitment to restoring this iconic species to its former range.
This mission signals an exciting new chapter for cheetah conservation in South Africa, with Ukuzwana standing as the first of several sites identified for future reintroductions.
