Founded in Namibia in 1990, Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) is dedicated to saving the cheetah in the wild.
CCF’s mission is to be the internationally recognized center of excellence in the conservation of cheetahs and their ecosystems. CCF will work with all stakeholders to develop best practices in research, education, and land use to benefit all species, including people.
Our Centre
World Renowned International Field Research and Education Facility – Open to the Public
Location
Cheetah Conservation Fund is located in Otjiwarongo, Namibia, about three hours north of the capital city of Windhoek. Our International Research and Education Centre is a renowned research facility that sets the standard for researchers and students worldwide seeking to learn more about the cheetah. It is a center for conservation programming and education, the base from which CCF reaches thousands of farmers, tens of thousands of students and hundreds of thousands of online supporters worldwide.
CCF is also an ecotourism destination, providing informative and memorable experiences for travelers whether they visit for a day, or stay overnight in our guest house accommodations. Ask anyone who’s visited – there is no place on earth like CCF.
Research Facilities
Through the generosity of Life Technologies, CCF has developed a DNA laboratory that conducts a non-invasive, genetic monitoring program to provide accurate population estimates of cheetahs in Namibia and other home-range countries.
The Life Technologies Conservation Genetics Laboratory & The Haas Family Veterinary Clinic also researches questions involving cheetah gene flow and geographical patterns of genetic variation, as well as adaptive questions related to the cheetah’s behavioral ecology in specific habitats. The lab plays a key role in training the next generation of wildlife geneticists.
Model Farm and Creamery
The CCF Center includes several model farms that have been developed to research and display predator-friendly and commercially viable livestock and wildlife programs. Innovative business initiatives include the Dancing Goat Creamery which makes goat’s cheese made from CCF’s goats which are protected by its Anatolian Shepherds and Kangal Livestock Guarding Dogs. Educational groups and visiting farmers have the opportunity to see first-hand that farmers and cheetah can co-exist.
Education Centre and Cheetah Museum
CCF’s Education Centre and Cheetah Museum displays are designed around CCF’s scientific research findings and provide detailed information about the cheetah: its history, physiology, importance within the ecosystem, conflict with humans, and what CCF is doing to ensure the species’ survival for future generations.
CCF’s Education Team presents two-day or longer environmental courses for school groups with overnight accommodation provided at the CCF educational campsites. Tens of thousands of students have participated in courses at the Centre. In addition to school groups, regional youth groups, youth officials, teachers, health officials and farmers participate in specially designed programs at CCF’s Centre.
Playground
The CCF children’s educational playground demonstrates that learning can be fun. Children complete a range of activities designed to demonstrate cheetah physiology and environmental issues.
Biomass Technology Demonstration Centre
The primary objective of the Biomass Technology Demonstration Centre (BTDC) is to research a wide range of biomass technologies with an emphasis on those that are capable of generating sustained economic enterprises. Alongside improvements to CCF’s successful clean-burning fuel log Bushblok, green energy technology development includes the manufacturing of: briquette logs, charcoal hex logs, lump charcoal, pyrolysis-based electrical generation and other promising technology such as wood pellet production, alternative chipping power trains, and Stirling engines.
With up to 15 tons per hectare of invasive thorn bush, central Namibia is an ideal location to demonstrate the full economic potential of biomass related industries and to research sustainable harvest methods that ultimately restore habitat. Bringing commercial enterprises to central Namibia will have the combined benefits of creating much needed employment, generating electricity, restoring wildlife habitat and improving farmland productivity.
The BTDC draws on academics, researchers, and engineers to implement, evaluate and validate new technology. Equipment and processes are customized for the type of biomass available across regions.
