Cheetah Metapopulation Project

From 1966 to 1996, 279 cheetahs were relocated from Namibian farms to South African reserves, with many reintroduction efforts proving unsuccessful. A significant turning point occurred with the successful introduction of cheetahs to the Phinda Private Game Reserve. Following post-Apartheid legislative reforms in South Africa that permitted private wildlife ownership, alongside a surge in ecotourism, cheetahs were introduced into 75 additional game reserves. This initiative has established a managed cheetah metapopulation that now boasts roughly 537 individuals, marking it as the only growing wild cheetah population in the world today.