• Home
  • Our story
  • Our people
  • Myth busters
  • Act now
  • Visit us
  • Blog
Campaign Against Canned Hunting (CACH)

Inverdoorn cheetahs

9/8/2018

10 Comments

 
Visit to Inverdoorn private game reserve by Chris Mercer  (CACH) and Toni Brockhoven (BWC).

On the 4th and 5th September, we visited the resort at the request of the new owner, Searl Derman, in order to assess the existing Cheetah program and to advise on any changes needed to comply with fair trade tourism guidelines.

Inverdoorn is a big five upmarket resort in the Tankwa Karoo near Sutherland. The lodge sits on a vast expanse of flat Karoo veld, 10,000 ha in all. The attempted poaching of one of their rhino some years ago featured in Richard Peirce’s book Poachers Moon.

About ten minutes drive away from the town of Touws Rivier lies Aquila private game reserve which is a successful ecotourism resort built up by Searl from scratch over the last 21 years. Aquila is the busiest private game reserve in Africa. A large number of tourists visit every year and it provides employment for around 500 staff.

Searl has bought Inverdoorn for a number of reasons. It is not far away from his main business (Aquila) and it fits with a business plan to offer a more remote and more exclusive five-star resort as part of a package tour.

The ethics committee
However he was concerned that the existing cheetah program might be seen as unethical and could damage his reputation so he contacted me and I suggested that he set up a completely independent ethics committee to advise him and to deal with any complaints about ethics, leaving him free to focus on business, while knowing that the welfare of the animals is not being compromised.

Toni Brockhoven of Beauty Without Cruelty in Cape Town, and wildlife documentary author and activist Richard Peirce have kindly agreed to join me to form the committee.

The cheetah program
We had a good look at the existing cheetah program. There are 15 animals in captivity. They are cared for by an experienced and dedicated handler. There is an excellent quality of life enhancement program which ensures that they remain in good condition. There are no volunteers; all the Cheetah staff are full time employees.

Every evening at 5 o’clock, as part of their exercise regimen and for rehabilitation purposes , a number of cheetah have to run for their supper, chasing a lure down a runway at up to 120 km an hour. At the end of the run they are rewarded with their food. There is no interaction with tourists who merely observe from a vantage point on top of a building halfway along the run. This ritual happens every evening regardless of whether there are tourists there to observe.

The holding camps are spacious and clean. On a daily basis in the mornings, cheetah are taken out into the veld in the reserve where they are allowed to run free and do whatever they want, chase after prey or lie under trees, depending on their mood. There are no ethical reasons why tourists should not accompany the habituated cheetah on these walks through the bush.
The same thing happens at Samara game reserve near Graaf Reinet where the famous cheetah Sybella was quite happy to allow tourists to sit a little distance away from her and to accompany her at some distance while she went about her daily tasks as a wild self-sustaining animal.

What worried Searl was that some tourists have been allowed in the past to touch the cheetah on these occasions, although under very strict control by the handler,  who would only allow touching when the animals were relaxed and purring and not at all if she felt that the animal was not in the mood.

Unfortunately, the very word ‘touching’ conjures up unacceptable images of lion cubs being passed around clumsy tourists in order to externalise the cost of rearing them to canned huntable size.

However the modern view - and the ethics of animal welfare are still evolving - is that any form of touching should not be allowed and we advised the staff.  Searl had already stopped any touching. Toni of Beauty Without Cruelty confirms that no physical interaction from the public must take place, regardless.  Inverdoon has already alerted the previously- booked patrons that no direct animal interaction will take place as previously advertised, but that tourists will enjoy an educational cheetah tour which includes watching them run. Visitors are also taken in a safari vehicle to see the cheetah being prepared for their life back in the wild.

Speaking personally my concern is less for animal ethics as a dogma and far more on whether the animals are content and well cared for.
And I must say that the Inverdoorn cheetah are probably the luckiest captive cheetah in South Africa in terms of condition, care, contentment, and quality of life enhancement programs. These animals will never be hunted.
​
Searl has already decided that he will predator- fence up to 5000 hectares into which he will import a suitable prey base such as springbok, blesbok and ostrich. Then a family of his captive Cheetah will be released to live wild and free.
Picture
10 Comments
Jessica
9/8/2018 02:20:05 am

What a lovely review. I am very happy to learn about this ethical wildlife establishment and I will recommend it to any overseas friends who wish to visit ethical wildlife establishments in SA. Thank you Chris Mercer!!

Reply
Barbara Wayman
9/8/2018 03:07:36 am

Really GOOD news !!
I agree totally with the 'no touching' decision for the sake of the cheetah as well as the humans; these cats are wild and should remain so in order for minimum interference in their way of life.
WELL DONE to all concerned: owner, staff and advisers ! So good to receive a good news/success story from conservation for a change ! Respect to all

Reply
Naomi Pawsandlisten
9/8/2018 05:18:09 am

Thank you Chris for sharing the good news! Good luck Searl and your team, looking forward to visit and be part of a privileged group to witness the first cheetah family to be released to go wild and free and be safe.

Reply
Hope Anderson
9/8/2018 02:14:32 pm

Thank you for this fascinating and heartening report. Having observed cheetahs in Tanzania, I've wondered about their welfare in the wild. I'm glad these cheetahs are being looked after so well.

Reply
Charlotte Rademeyer
9/9/2018 01:27:55 am

Very heartening news. Good for all concerned.

Reply
SHIRLI JADE CARSWELL link
9/9/2018 01:45:34 am

Great to get this information Chris! I commend Searl for caring enough to contact you and I wish more of these establishments would do that. Thank you!

Reply
Lynn Ribton-Turner
9/9/2018 06:57:29 am

Chris you are making a difference, thank you...have you cosidered the endangered black footed cat breeding program which Bev was so passionate about? warm greetings Lynn

Reply
Heidrun Baar link
9/9/2018 06:38:31 pm

I loved your article Chris, it's great to hear that some people in South Africa do the right thing. Very heartwarming. I wish more Game Reserves would follow...Thank you.

Reply
Dee Roelofsz
9/10/2018 02:30:08 am

Thanks for a great article Chris. It is terrific to have some good news feedback for a change, far too many negative things going on with our wildlife. Its heartwarming to know that some people still put animal welfare above tourist expectations! Good luck to Searl & his team with the Cheetah program!

Reply
Dr Sue Schofield
9/20/2018 01:36:37 am

Sounds an amazing place...and lucky cheetah is all I can say!

Reply



Leave a Reply.


    Newsletter

    Archives

    July 2021
    May 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    May 2020
    January 2020
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    June 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    November 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    May 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    September 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013

Animal advocacy courses are offered here:

    Subscribe to our newsletter:

Submit
PUBLIC BENEFIT NUMBER: PB0930030402        |        REG. NUMBER: 2006/036885/08   
   CACH:  P.O. BOX 54 LADISMITH 6655 SOUTH AFRICA     |     MOBILE/CELL/WHATSAPP:  +27 (0) 82 9675808
.