The cheetah female Iketle was seen with the first kill since her recent release. She caught a little scrub hare.

Since exactly one week our great hope "Iketle", the 24-month-old cheetah female, is living in freedom (see the video about the release here). She has already started to explored first regions of her new home in the Madikwe Game Reserve. Hopefully she will withstand the hazards of dangerous predators, quickly become accustomed to the new environment and meet with at least one of the five cheetah males. We are all very excited!

For the next two weeks Vincent van der Merwe from the Endangered Wildlife Trust and Cheetah Conservation Program in South Africa will be monitoring Iketle on a daily base. One of the key factors to ensure the survival, is the ability to chase and catch prey. There is now a confirmed first success: Iketle has caught a little scrub hare. A good start, even though only a small appetizer!