Thula Thula Game Lodge marks a milestone with new cheetah collaring

Four cheetahs – Amani, Asante, Malaika and Ayana – are at the heart of an important wildlife conservation effort at Thula Thula Private Game Reserve in Zululand, KwaZulu-Natal.

On May 29, the reserve undertook a crucial operation to locate and fit new tracking collars on the endangered big cats.

The exercise was carried out by Thula Thula’s Anti-Poaching Unit, reserve management team, field guides and veterinarian Trever Viljoen.

The collaring process is highly time-sensitive, requiring the animals to be sedated and fitted with the collars before the medication wears off.

The operation follows a recent incident where Amani, one of the male cheetahs, narrowly survived a shooting. Remarkably, the bullet struck his collar, likely saving his life.

The injured cheetah’s brother, Asante, remained by his side throughout his recovery.

In the wild, male cheetahs often form coalitions, hunting together and providing protection against larger predators.

According to Thula Thula owner Francoise Malby-Anthony, the collaring marks an important milestone in the reserve’s conservation journey.

“We introduced the first two male cheetahs from the Eastern Cape and later brought in a female from Mpumalanga. Their arrival was only possible after expanding Thula Thula from 1,000 hectares to 5,000 hectares,” she said.

The reserve’s expansion created the space needed for predators to help maintain a balanced ecosystem naturally, without hunting or culling.

“We had to find a way to balance the ecosystem. These cheetahs are incredibly precious because they are highly endangered,” Malby-Anthony added.

Southern African cheetahs are classified as vulnerable, facing threats including habitat loss, declining prey numbers, human-wildlife conflict and illegal wildlife trade.

Fewer than 6,500 adult cheetahs remain globally, with South Africa home to an estimated 1,500 individuals.

Thula Thula is also part of the Metapopulation Initiative, which was led by the conservationist Vincent van der Merwe, which aims to strengthen cheetah populations through careful genetic management.

The reserve currently has three males and one female.

Ayana, a young male and the sole survivor of a litter of five cubs, will eventually be relocated to prevent inbreeding and replaced with a female.

The new collars will allow reserve staff to monitor the cheetahs in real time, improving protection against poaching, tracking their movements and gathering valuable ecological data to inform wildlife management decisions.

Malby-Anthony emphasised that the success of the programme would not have been possible without the support of local communities.

In May 2024, neighbouring community-owned land was incorporated into the reserve, significantly increasing its size and conservation potential.

“Thanks to this partnership, we’ve been able to expand conservation efforts, protect our wildlife and create benefits for both the reserve and the local community,” she said.

With their new collars, Amani, Asante, Malaika and Ayana are among approximately 1,500 cheetahs being actively monitored across South Africa, helping secure the future of one of Africa’s most iconic species.