Suddenly the dead kudu got to its feet and, in one impressive leap, cleared the five foot bank of the sandy lugga. The two cheetah, which had been lying panting just thirty yards away from where we stood, were just as surprised as we were and took off in hot pursuit. We set off to see if the cheetah managed to regain control of their wayward breakfast.

Okonjima is a private conservancy lying in Namibia’s central highlands. It has long been home to the Africat Foundation which attempts to rescue and rehabilitate cheetah that have clashed with surrounding commercial cattle farms. Cheetahs are physiologically closer to dogs than cats and unlike lion or leopard, are not instinctive hunters. Much of their first 18 months is spent learning the techniques of survival from their mother. Many cheetah come to the centre having been orphaned by farmers poisoning or shooting the adults, which are seen as a threat to young livestock.
The foundation is engaged in long-term research and rehabilitation projects to re-introduce the animals back into wilderness areas where they will not come into conflict with people. It is a long process and a steep learning curve as they experiment with different methods. Animals are collared and monitored constantly. As a guest at Okonjima, you can head out with the guides to track the animals and see how they are getting on.

Charlie and Trish are brother and sister and have recently been re-released into the 16,000ha conservancy where they are attempting to survive without the human handouts. Their ambitious attempt at a kudu unfortunately failed but hopefully they were able to put it down to experience and would have better luck next time.

Seeing predators in this context is very different from seeing them in the wild but it does provide exciting opportunities for close encounters with otherwise elusive creatures. The guides here have an in-depth understanding of the animals and it is interesting to gain a deeper insight into the controversial issue of conservation vis-a-vis human livelihoods.