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Conservation at Cheetah Experience

What We Do

Cheetah Experience is a registered non-profit company originally based in Bloemfontein but relocated to Bela Bela, Limpopo in March 2021.

We are home to a number of endangered and threatened species, including cheetahs, leopards, male

non-breeding lions, servals, caracals, African wildcats, wolves, meerkats and a Siberian tiger. Our project takes in rescued animals from the local area, so we also have various animals from time to time, including 2 dwarf goats and some chickens.

We offer visitors a once in a lifetime opportunity to come on an educational tour and learn about our animals, see them up close, take some amazing photos, and learn how you can join us in the fight to protect these precious species.

We offer a wide range of Volunteer and Internship Programs, which have seen over 1,000 hard-working, dedicated people from 33 countries come and be a special part of the Cheetah Experience Global Volunteer Family, and contribute to conservation in South Africa.

Click on the button below to read more about the plight of the cheetah, and what we do to ethically conserve the cheetah

Our Motto:

Extinction is Forever.

Our Mission is to raise awareness of the vulnerability of South African species and other endangered species through educational experiences, as well as ethically breeding cheetahs in captivity.

At Cheetah Experience, our animals come first, and everything we do is for our animals. Our current focus is to ensure that our cheetah breeding project aids in the conservation of the Cheetah, by using the DNA samples taken from our Cheetahs to maintain genetic diversity. We work along-side other ethical and responsible projects to help secure the Cheetahs future survival. In 2016 cheetah population figures were revised, showing that the global population of the cheetah is estimated at ∼7,100 individuals, and confined to 9% of their historical distributional range.

Our Long Term goal is to be able to release some animals into a protected yet self-sustaining natural habitat where animals are still monitored by researchers and medical experts but live free. Understanding their needs, behaviour and instincts plays a key role in saving animals from extinction.

We are proud to have been involved with some releases through another project over the last few years as well as donating Rumi and Rae for release in conjunction with the Askari Wilderness Conservation Program, please visit their facebook page for updates on how Rumi and Rae are doing.

- visit their website at

- Facebook page

Why We Do It

Meet some of our Family

Faith

Cheetah

Hi I’m Faith!

I’m a really special cheetah, having survived meningitis at a young age, being one of two cheetahs in the world who have survived this disease! Through the love of the staff and many months of rehabilitation, I got back my ability to walk again, and you'll often see me walking around and making new friends at the project!

Gemini

Leopard

My name is Gemini!

I’m a female black leopard, and am one of the gentlest animals at Cheetah Experience. My best friend is Pheonix, a spotted leopard, and I like to spend most of my time running around and playing with him, and greeting the volunteers that stop by and say hello

Juno

Cheetah

Hello I’m Juno!

I’m one of the prettiest cheetahs at Cheetah Experience. My friends always say I have really dark fur and piercing eyes, just like my dad, Apollo. I’m also super fast, and you might find me running in the field at our project, or chasing around my best friend Neo.

Napoleon

African Lion

Hi I’m Napoleon!

I’m one of three non-breeding male African lions at Cheetah Experience. I live with my friend Acinonyx the white lion. When volunteers have sleepovers in the house close to my enclosure, I like to roar from 4.30am in the morning onwards to try and wake them up! But don’t tell them I said that!

Jasper

Serval

My names Jasper!

Everybody tells me that i am a special serval, i don't really understand what that means but they do smile when they say it, so i guess it is a good thing..

Fushan

Siberian Tiger

Hi I'm Fushan!

I'm the biggest cat at Cheetah Experience, weighing over 280kg! Even though I'm big, people tell me I'm very sweet, and I like to chuff (which is my way of saying hello) at people that walk past my home. I also love swimming, so you might catch me playing in my big swimming pool!

To meet more of our animals at Cheetah Experience, click on the button below.

Meet Our Animals