It has become a little quieter around the cheetah project in Madikwe. The ambitious, difficult and expensive initiatives to introduce females in the reserve have so far failed. We remember: the big goal is to build a stable cheetah population through reproduction in the park. The feasibility seems to be in the far future by the death of the two cheetah sisters earlier this year. We have followed this this story from the beginning.

The Madikwe rangers who every day drive their rounds in the reserve, secretly hoped for a miracle. Finally, only the collar of the animal was found, perfectly intact, with no marks from bites or a fight. Traces of a dead animal were not found. Why should thus the female cheetah not just jump suddenly out of the bushes? That would produce a huge smile on the faces of the rangers.

However, the experts of Madikwe’s Conservation Department were very sure about the incident, and they have been proven right. Unfortunately. Thus, the situation is “back to normal”. On a game drive, it is possible to see five cheetahs, all of them are male: the four brothers who are always roaming together and are seen quite often, or the fifth, which lives alone and is only rarely seen.

But the calm is deceptive. In the background the investigations are in full swing. It is no secret that Madikwe’s park administration does not give up and stays firm to its objectives. "I am sure that we will soon hear news," says Rhulani's owner Rolf. But the matter is still too early to be communicated. "What is certain is that we will again consider giving financial support, depending on the possibilities," says Rolf.

So we are looking forward to soon news and the beginning of a new chapter of #RhulaniCheetah.