Cango Chronicles - Page 7

The Cheetah Preservation Foundation (CPF) is dedicated to advancing the conservation of cheetahs and other endangered species through responsible captive breeding, research, rescue support, and public awareness. The Foundation receives no government funding and relies entirely on memberships, donations, animal adoptions, and corporate sponsorships to continue its work.

Our second year at Cango Academy is off to a strong start! Seven new faces have joined our facility all with the goal of gaining career (and life)-defining experiences, which we are more than happy to oblige. Student placements are never passive experiences. Whether in conservation, nature management, or administration, students become active participants in the daily realities of a functioning wildlife facility. This approach sits at the heart of Cango Academy:...

On the morning of 27 January 2026, a routine day at our facility took an unexpected turn. Zuko, our 1.5-year-old male cheetah, was playing with his siblings, Zuri and Zeus, and like many youngsters, the play became very energetic. During one particularly spirited chase, Zuko collided with one of his siblings. In that split second where speed met momentum, Zuko sustained a serious leg injury. At first, the incident resembled the sort...

For a conservation organisation based in Oudtshoorn, moments like this do not come often. And when they do, they are worth pausing for. This year, a South African conservation technology project founded by our CEO, Douglas Eriksen, was recognised on the global stage at the World Economic Forum in Davos. Project ZOA, or Zoological Open Architecture, was awarded the Startup Innovation Award for Top AI Sustainability Project during Davos Innovation Week 2026.

The Dodo once walked freely on the island of Mauritius. With no natural predators, it had no reason to fear humans. Within less than a century of human arrival, it was gone. Extinction is permanent. Once a species disappears, there is no recovery, no second chance, no future generations to protect. Every species on the Red List tells a story of pressure. Habitat loss. Human conflict. Climate stress. Decline that did not...

Some partnerships are built quietly and strengthened over time through consistency and shared purpose. Since 2018, Kraaibosch Nurseries in George has supported Cango Wildlife and the Cheetah Preservation Foundation as a benefactor. Their ongoing contributions help sustain the day to day work of conservation, from animal care and veterinary treatment to habitat management and long term programmes focused on threatened species, including cheetahs and other vulnerable wildlife in our care.

This Steppe Buzzard arrived at Cango Wildlife through CapeNature with severe eye injuries. His right eye was injured - crusted and swollen, coupled with permanent blindness in his left eye. Vulnerable and unable to survive on his own in the wild, he was brought to our team for rehabilitation. Under the care of our Zoological Manager, Dedré Rupping, the buzzard received focused veterinary treatment, including antibiotics and pain management. Over the next...

Change does not always mean starting over. Sometimes, it means bringing things back into alignment. As part of Cango Wildlife’s broader rebrand in our 40th year of operation, our volunteer programme is entering a new chapter. Wild Animal Volunteers, established in 2012, will now be known as Cango Wildlife Volunteers. Since its founding, the volunteer programme has played an essential role in supporting animal care, conservation work, and daily operations across the...

When someone returns to Cango Wildlife, it always means something. When they return with others, it means even more. Lana first came to Cango Wildlife through her work with an international volunteering platform. Her role is not simply to place people in programmes, but to assess the programmes. To ask the difficult questions. To decide whether a facility is ethical, transparent, and worth trusting with both animals and people. That was the...

We are thrilled to share that our Squirrel Monkeys are now officially on display in their purpose-built habitat, Saimiri Ruins, marking the culmination of a journey that has been years in the making. Early on the morning of Tuesday, 22 December, the radio call finally came through: “Attention all stations, attention all stations. We will now move the Squirrel Monkeys to their new habitat.”