(8 Sep 2022)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Limpopo - 4 September 2022
1. Wide of twos cheetahs, destined for India, quarantined in their enclosures at the Rooiberg Wildlife Veterinary Park
2. Various of cheetahs
3. Mid of Cheetah Metapopulation Initiative Manager Vincent van der Merwe opening gate to cheetah enclosure
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Vincent van der Merwe, Cheetah Metapopulation Initiative Manager:
"Since 1979 India has looked toward Africa as a source of cheetah for reintroduction and they started negotiations with Namibia in 2010 and then around about that time South Africa's wild cheetah population started to grow in number, to expand in number. Since 2020 we've been in negotiations with the Indian government to get South African cheetahs to India."
5. Cheetah sitting under tree in enclosure
6. Various of Veterinarian at Rooiberg Wildlife Veterinary Park Andy Frasier shooting tranquilizer darts at cheetahs, approaching the animals
7. Various of Frasier and team loading darted cheetahs into vehicle
8. Various of Van der Merwe adjusting darted cheetahs' identification collars
9. SOUNDBITE (English) Vincent van der Merwe, Cheetah Metapopulation Initiative Manager:
"Namibia is making 8 animals available for reintroduction in India and South Africa is making 12 animals available, but for a genetically viable population in India in the long term, you need at least 500 individuals (cheetahs). So we are going to send, every year we'll send 8-12 animals to top them up, to increase their numbers, to bring in new genetics until they have a viable population."
10. Various of team loading darted cheetah into crate for transportation to Mozambique
11. SOUNDBITE (English) Robyn Keyes, Veterinary Assistant:
"It's a lot better to have a smaller cage than a bigger one, or like a crate, and that's purely because it doesn't give them (cheetahs) space to try and run against the sides to get out. But the stress level is the biggest thing, so after they've been woken up they (we) usually use a long-lasting anaesthetic which comes out of the system quite slowly as opposed to other opioids which you can reverse and then they'll be completely awake and very stressed."
++NIGHT SHOTS++
12. Frasier checking darted cheetah's vitals ahead of transportation to Mozambique
13. SOUNDBITE (English) Andy Frasier, Veterinarian at Rooiberg Wildlife Veterinary Park:
"So what we did here today was immobilise 4 cheetahs, 2 adult males and 2 adult females, and we've loaded them into transport crates and they will be travelling to Marromeus (National Reserve) in the Zambezi Delta in Mozambique. So Vincent van der Merwe (Manager of Cheetah Metapopulation) will be travelling with the cats through the night. They will then hop onto an airplane and travel over into Mozambique early in the morning. So we had a successful afternoon."
14. Various of Frasier and team completing preparations for cheetahs to be transported to Mozambique
STORYLINE
South Africa is flying cheetahs to India and Mozambique as part of ambitious efforts to reintroduce the distinctively spotted cats in regions where their population has dwindled.
Four cheetahs captured at reserves in South Africa have been flown to Mozambique this week after being held in quarantine for about a month and cleared for travel.
Conservationists are preparing to fly 12 more cheetahs, reputed to be the world's fastest land mammals, to India in October
But he described a "successful afternoon" after carefully darting the animals at the Rooiberg Wildlife Veterinary Park.
AP video shot by Sebabatso Mosamo
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