Rietvlei Nature Reserve welcomes five cheetah cubs
The cubs were birthed by cheetah mother Njozi, which means 'dreams' in Swahili.
Rietvlei Nature Reserve has welcomed five cheetah cubs which are about six weeks old.
The five cubs were first spotted by game rangers at the reserve this past weekend.
Tshwane mayor Randall Williams said the cubs were birthed by cheetah mother Njozi, which means “dreams” in Swahili.
“Njozi is a shy cat that does not show herself that much. She roams throughout Rietvlei Nature Reserve and is mostly spotted during the early mornings or late afternoons.
“Njozi is kept permanently at the reserve for breeding purposes,” Williams said.
The nature reserve began showing interest in cheetahs in 2002 to form part of the Endangered Wildlife Trust’s Cheetah Metapopulation Project.
Williams said cheetahs at the Rietvlei Nature Reserve don’t have competition from other large predators so the reserve is the perfect place to form part of the programme.
A new male cheetah, Thaba, was released into the reserve last year in September to a sub-adult Njozi for breeding purposes.
ALSO READ: Doubts over ‘missing’ Rietvlei reserve cheetah, Njozi
The metro called on visitors at the nature reserve to respect Njozi’s space while she hunts for food.
“Until the cubs reach full maturity and fend for themselves, there will be much pressure on Njozi to take care of their needs.”
When the cheetah mother is spotted, visitors are advised to stay at least 30 metres away from her and her cubs.
“Switch off your car engine, remain silent and limit the noise from your vehicle. Do not leave the vehicle under any circumstances, nor hang out of the windows and break the vehicle’s silhouette. Do not attempt to stay in the reserve after gate closing times,” said Williams.
The Rietvlei Nature Reserve is one of the biggest urban nature reserves in the world with 4 000 hectares of grassland.
Williams said the reserve conserves a critically endangered ecosystem.
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