What is the wild cheetah population in Namibia? Are wild predators allowed to be hunted on pretext of trespassing on private farms?
There are approximately 3,000 wild cheetahs in Namibia. Officially these are the options a farmer is given when dealing with a captured cheetah: shoot the cheetah, release it or, the third option is to call a recognized NGO (non governmental organization) such as CCF (with a long track-record in this country of integrated conservation programmes). NGOs such as CCF are allowed to work with farmers to secure the release of the cheetah or its removal. CCF addressed this question at the Large Carnivore Association meeting at which MET (Namibia’s Ministry of Environment and Tourism in whose jurisdiction these matters lie) acknowledged the long working relationship of CCF and other NGOs with farmers. These organizations, due to their commitment to ensure that cheetahs remain in the wild in Namibia, are supported by MET.
