New puppies in training. ©Rebecca Klein.

The cheetah is Africa’s most threatened large cat. The species is at risk due to loss of habitat, declining prey populations and increasing human persecution. Botswana contains one of the largest remaining populations of free ranging cheetahs in the world, with approximately 2,500 individuals. This represents around 20% of the estimated 12,500 left in the world and makes Botswana one of the last strongholds of the species. Despite this, Botswana’s cheetahs are under threat. Protected areas cannot be relied upon to conserve adequate populations as cheetahs are often out-competed by high populations of stronger carnivores. Nearly 90% of cheetahs are estimated to live outside reserves on unprotected lands. Here they come into conflict with livestock farmers. Due to such threats, the cheetah acts as an ideal representative for the Kalahari ecosystem, especially outside of protected areas. These areas are key habitat for cheetah survival and are now a priority for their conservation. However, such areas are becoming increasingly overgrazed and badly managed. Livestock production is not effective, carnivore conflict is high, and wildlife populations continue to decline. To stop wildlife decline, changes must be made to the current methods of land and livestock management.

CCB works to promote best practices in livestock, range management and non-lethal carnivore control, to reduce carnivore-livestock conflict and improve land management practices and community perceptions. There is a strong lack of awareness about carnivore behaviours and the conflict is increasing. Cheetahs and all carnivores are regularly killed as a threat to livestock. However, it has been shown that effective livestock management and non-lethal carnivore control can reduce carnivore conflict and facilitate coexistence. Such techniques include: effective kraal designs, calving seasons, herding, livestock guarding dogs, guard donkeys, dawn and dusk patrols, good record keeping, range health and wildlife management.

Conservation of the cheetah, and all of Botswana’s carnivores, depends on the actions of farming communities. The community outreach and education project focuses on CCB’s community interventions including, farmer training workshops, national livestock guarding dog network, youth bush camps and the conflict mitigation demonstration projects in the Western Kalahari. The end goal is to create a community focused network that provides information and support to improve livelihoods while protecting cheetahs and other carnivores.