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Two cheetahs in our Wildlife Orphanage!

We are truly excited to welcome two beautiful cheetahs in our Wildlife Orphanage. Let's introduce them and share their story with you!

Meet Magnus and Tobie! Magnus (11 years old) and Tobie (12 years old), both males, come from HESC (Hoedspruit Endangered Species Center) and arrived at DAKTARI on Friday, 16th October. They were both born at the center and they grew up together, as part of a cheetah breeding program. Although not blood related, we can practically say they are brothers! They are now retired breeders, and it was obvious we would take them both at DAKTARI so they could still be together! Arrival at DAKTARI On the 16th of October, two volunteers from DAKTARI had the opportunity to follow the entire process of moving the cheetahs from one place to another. Let us take you through their journey! Magnus and Tobie had been placed in a separate enclosure so that Dr Ben Muller, the wildlife vet, could dart them safely. After a few minutes, the drug had worked and the cheetahs were both sedated. The vet then safely put on blindfold on them and started injected the required vaccines. He also proceeded to a TB test, and the results came back negative, which means they were ready to travel to DAKTARI! We transported them in safe capture cages, and after an hour drive, they arrived at DAKTARI. We opened the doors, and they were both relaxed, walking away slowly, ready to explore and discover their new home! Educating the children As they have been living in captivity their whole life, Magnus and Tobie cannot be released into the wild. Therefore, we are extremely happy to be able to give them a forever home at DAKTARI! They will be living their old days in a large, peaceful camp, while educating the children. We are thrilled to have not only one, but two cheetahs to help us fulfill our mission to educate and inspire local children to value their environment and protect the wildlife of South Africa.

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