Drawings from Learners at Archer's College

Check out these cute drawings from learners at Archer's College. We visited them on 26th October, and were surprised with lovely works of art.

Ambassador Cheetahs bring smiles to kids in need

The ambassador cheetahs of our farm have brought smiles to thousands of learners through the years. There is no better feeling as an environmental educator than the moment when learners meet the cheetah, and their faces light up with the broadest smiles. Some of most appreciative children are those that have faced more adversities in their lives than most adults could imagine. 

Kids haven have an annual "Friends of Animals day". The shelter in situated in Benoni, and their mission is to reach out to children on the streets and others in need in our community. They strive to provide them with love and shelter in a nurturing, secure environment. Kids haven gives them guidance, therapy, training and support so that they can be the best they can be and take their rightful place in the community. Byron visited this home on 17th August as part of the Friends of Animals, and we loved allowing the children of the home to meet Byron after learning about cheetahs, and conservation.I was amazed at how well spoken knowledgeable the kids were, and I'm sure that all the little ones that are in the shelter appreciate all the hard work that the staff put in. 

On Saturday 25th Yeats, Monique and myself met amazing brave ladies at "The House" - Intombi Shelter in Berea, Johannesburg. INTOMBI SHELTER which was established in 1995 provides a temporary home for homeless girls under the age of 19, offering them safety and care for a few months, while allowing social welfare systems prepare them for future referral, or preferably, reintegration into their families. A stone's throw from Hillbrow, the sounds and sights of this neighbourhood are nothing like the serenity of the farm, or quiet of most of the schools Yeasts has visited. Despite the challenging environment, Yeats was his awesome self, and showed that even though he is still a youngster, he has got the "stuff" that makes a cheetah a legendary ambassador. Some of the girls were so impressed by how gorgeous he was, they actually wanted to give him a nice big hug :-)

If you would like to make it possible for us to visit more institutions like these, or schools that can't cover our expenses please contact me to find out how to make donations towards these visits. Alternatively, please feel free to contact the amazing staff at either of these shelters to find out how you can help these amazing kids.

fundraising@kidshaven.co.za

Benoni Shelter Phone

+27 (0)11 421 4222

Latest education gossip...

Cute Thank you letters

I wanted to share some of these letters from the grade 2's of Cornwall college. Thanks guys, your letters make me smile :-)

 

Sleet and extreme cold...

De Wildt was hit by the extreme cold that is passing over South Africa at the moment, and the animals at the farm even got their first taste of sleet!

Yeats' first big school audience

It has been an eventful few weeks, and our team is very proud of Yeats, our young ambassador cheetah. He visited Covenant college, and the learners made him feel so comfortable that he was an absolute star. We look forward to many more schools and visits with this handsome fellow.

 

Career week at Tswaing & Endangered Animal Expo at JHB Zoo

 

Over the past few weeks, the very important message about conservation and endangered animals was spread to over 1000 learners. The Tswaing Crater is part of Ditsong museums, and is a beautiful little reserve in the middle of Mabopane. Learners from as far afield as Hammanskraal were introduced to various career options in conservation, natural sciences as well as geology and astronomy. Many of the high school learners that attended this career week had no idea that so many animals in africa are endangered and in dire need of assistance. At the Endangered Animal Expo held at the Johannesburg Zoo, the primary school learners that attended were once again educated about endangered species, and some of the reasons these animals are in trouble. Jedi, our Anatolian Guard dog ambassador, was also at the zoo, and was eager to meet the learners. Many of the learners that were at the zoo are very afraid of domestic animals, therefore Jedi's calm and cuddly personality make him the perfect ambassador to introduce these little ones to animals while educating them about this amazing breed of dog.

Sponsor a cheetah visit to an underprivileged school...

It is very important that we are able to spend time in rural and underprivileged schools educating learners about the need for conservation and the role we all play in our environment. Meeting an ambassador cheetah is an unforgettable experience, and if you would like to make this possible for a school that would otherwise not afford it, please contact me to find out how you can help.

Rita Groenewald
education@dewildt.co.za
+27 12 504 9906/7/8
www.dewildt.co.za
www.cheeta.org.za

67 minutes at Dr. George Mukhari Hospital...

Today I spent my 67 minutes for Mandela day at Dr. George Mukhari Hospital in Ga-Rankuwa. I joined Lethlogonolo and learners from LG Holele High school at the hospital. We cleaned the offices and wards of the spinal unit, helped move and feed the patients. I am glad I was able to assist in a small way, as this is a place that is close to Lethlogonolo's heart. After his attack which left him wheelchair bound, he spent 6 months in this unit. 

 

Lethlo heads up the Tri-Rangers, a community project that works with about 930 learners in Ga-Rankuwa. CHEETA has a fantastic programme aimed at working with these learners called the Cheetah Challenge. 

The Cheetah Challenge hopes to achieve the following...

Our vision is to change the perceptions of young people about their futures and what is possible.

We will do this by challenging each young person to change their world, one new thought at a time.

We aim to provide critical thinking skills and opportunities to children and young adults - focused on various areas of their lives, so that they change their mindsets and perceptions about:

·         Their Futures

·         Opportunities for Economic Activity

·         Their Health and Wellness

·         Making a difference in the lives of Others

·         Making a difference to  their Environment and ultimately the Planet

·         Improving Relationships and choosing appropriate Role Models

·         Choosing behaviour that results in Positive Outcomes in their lives

·         Consciously working on their Strengths and constantly seeking out new Skills

This will be done through a series of Action Learning Modules, using the environment as a strong metaphor. These will be followed by practical skills that will be taught through voluntary work at the Cheetah Centre.  The programme also seeks to bridge the technology and language divide and will also provide access to a Media Centre, Digital Cameras, English reading books, Think Tanks, and many other exciting technologies and processes.

The programme is aimed at youngsters (aged 12 to 18) from underprivileged communities who have a passion for the planet and who have demonstrated a willingness to be involved in voluntary work. It is divided into several levels and those who take up the Cheetah Challenge will graduate from one level to the next, represented by recognition badges for each level attained. This means that we reach the children over an extended period of time, rather than just as a ‘once-off’ experience. Leadership experiences will be offered to those who show outstanding Leadership abilities. 

If you would like to support this initiative, please contact me on +27 12 504 9907 education@dewildt.co.za

I hope you all had a wonderful Mandela Day

Happy Birthday Madiba!

Cheetah Super Stars...meet the ambassador cheetahs of The Ann van Dyk Cheetah Centre

The Ann van Dyk Cheetah Centre is home to many amazing cheetahs. In the breeding programme, we prefer to let the mothers raise the cubs, but there are some instances where some of the cubs have to be hand reared. Sometimes first time moms don't look after the cubs, and other times if the cubs have injuries we step in and hand-rear the cubs. When the cubs are hand-reared, the staff at our farm have the opportunity to work closely with these cheetahs, and we call these cats ambassadors. Just like humans, every cheetah looks totally different, and behaves very differently as well. I would like to introduce you to the current ambassador cheetahs we have at the moment, and tell you about their amazing, sometimes quirky personalities...

 

Byron looking gorgeous

Byron at a school

We would have to start off with Byron, since he is our first ambassador cheetah. He is an amazing cheetah that visits schools. This year he turned 10, and has seen thousands of learners. Byron is confident, and loves traveling, but he does not really want to take part in our run. The cheetah run is a great opportunity for enrichment for our cats. There is a lure course, and the lure (danger tape) is pulled at speeds of up to 75km/h. Byron normally watches the lure speeding away, and walks over to chat to the nearest lady cheetah. Since he is quite the ladies' cat and very handsome, Byron is part of our breeding programme. He loves going up to the ladies in "Lover's Lane", and has sired a number of beautiful cubs. At times when guests meet other ambassador cheetahs near Byron's camp, he shows obvious signs of being jealous, and recently even sprayed the auditorium windows while Yeats was busy meeting guests! Poor Yeats gets very distracted by Byron.

Graca at the run

Graca - a beautiful action shot

Shaka eating

Shaka is a beautiful king cheetah. His personality is completely different to that of Byron. Shaka is a gentle cat, and is not quite as brave as Byron. Shaka attempts to run, but is not the best athlete we have. Graca, Shaka's sister, is by far one of the best runners we have at the farm. Shaka and Graca turned 9 years old this year. Shaka is a very good ambassador for guests to interact with, but Graca only participates in the run, she is far to playful to do more.

A rare action shot of Shaka

The Beautiful Charlotte...

Charlotte is a beautiful young lady, and has been known to be very temperamental, but is a very well trained ambassador that can be used with small groups of adults. At the run, one is not guaranteed a good performance, but if she "feels like it", she does run very well.  This lovely cat turned 6 years old this year.

Baby Phantom

Yeats on a training session at a local school

Phantom on the house

Phantom, aka "Whisky" from the TV series "Cheetah Diaries" has a unique little face that suits her quirky personality. She had a problem with her eye, which her mommy tried to fix by licking it excessively. The little scar she has on her face does not detract from her cuteness :-) Phantom has an amazing "super purr", which is very high pitched. At 5 years old, she is a fabulous runner, and often plays in her camp with her ball.

Young Yeats

Big Girl is an 11 year old that is possibly one of the friendliest cheetahs we have on the farm, and never turns down a good cuddle. This veteran still enjoys the run, and is absolutely beautiful to see in action, as she is a  very large, majestic cheetah. She has the loudest purr of all our ambassador cats.

Lovely Big Girl

Yeats is a young ambassador that shows great potential. He is brave and adores traveling, making him a possible successor for Byron to visit schools. He turned 2 this year, and loves a stroll on the farm and a good cuddle. Yeats is also a very handsome youngster, who has grown into a large cat. He is very playful and on walks to meet guests for interactions, he loves "chatting" to all the other cheetahs on the farm.

Charlotte

 Roy is a gorgeous 4 year old male, who loves to cuddle. He has a very deep purr, and does interactions with guests.

Mitsi playing with her ball

Mitsi is a young lady who recently turned 1. She is an excellent runner, who has only joined the run line-up a few months ago, but already eagerly sprints for the visitors who come to the farm to watch the run. She is very friendly, and always greets Yeats as he walks past her.

Mitsi sticking her tongue out

Why not join us at the Ann van Dyk Cheetah centre to meet these celebs in person, or see them in action at the run. You can also invite us to your school or function to give an educational presentation about cheetahs or wild dogs, and meet one of our ambassadors too! Live too far for a visit? Why not skype one of our cats from their camp straight to your classroom. For educational enquiries contact me on education@dewildt.co.za or +27 12 504 9906

www.dewildt.co.za
www.cheeta.org.za

Amazing Support from Sutherland High

There are many ways that the public can assist the Ann van Dyk Cheetah Centre, as well as our education programme CHEETA. All the animals at the farm can be adopted, which means that members of the public contribute towards the animals' medical expenses and general upkeep. Schools and corporate institutions can also sponsor visits to underprivileged schools, enabling us to visit learners that have the greatest need for environmental education. When supporting our education programme, we are able to issue Tax Certificates and your company can also use its Social Economic Development to support us, since we are a registered Section 18A NPO.

This year Sutherland High School approached CHEETA to do fundraising for the education programme. Every year the ladies taking part in the Miss Sutherland High pageant do a fundraising drive as part of their responsibilities in the pageant. The lovely participants of Miss Sutherland High worked incredibly hard this year, and made a fantastic donation of R20 000! We are so proud of the ladies, and the hard work they have done. Our education department used these funds to purchase the education vehicle that has been sponsored by Ssangyong, and we are very grateful for Sutherland High School's assistance.

There are many ways that you can help the centre and the education programme, and if you feel you would like to assist, please contact Rita on +27 83 2528848 or education@dewildt.co.za

At the moment, there are many adorable animals at the farm, and they are just waiting to be adopted... have a look at our website for more information about our adoption programme www.dewildt.co.za