About us

The Ann van Dyk Cheetah Centre – De Wildt (Originally the De Wildt Cheetah Research Centre) was the first establishment in the world to breed captive cheetahs on a sustainable basis and was the firstCites approved cheetah breeding facility in the world.

The aim of the Centre is to maintain a viable genetic pool of not only the cheetah but also the African wild dog (second most endangered carnivore in Africa), for release back into their natural habitat as and when space becomes available.

Since its establishment in 1971, over six hundred cheetah cubs and more than five hundred wild dog pups have been born at the centre, and it is here that the mystery of the King Cheetah was solved with the birth of the first King Cheetah in captivity.

Over the years various other endangered species have been bred at the Centre and these include African wild cat, Suni, Blue and Red Duiker, Riverine Rabbit, Vultures including the very rare Egyptian Vulture. The small antelope and Riverine Rabbit projects were handed over to other institutions once successfully underway.

At present, the Centre provides a home to 78 cheetahs and 21 Wild Dogs. It also provides safe haven for animals that have been illegally kept and confiscated.

It was the first facility to successfully reintroduce captive-born African wild dogs into their natural habitat and also created a man-made wild dog den, which enabled us to acquire the first film footage of the birth of African wild dog puppies and their initial three weeks in the den before appearing above ground.

More than Eighty research publications have been written and undertaken through the facility and this research contributes to the well-being and survival of the species.

Through their Wild Cheetah Management Programme, the facility successfully captured over sixty cheetahs that were considered “problem animals’ and relocated them into protected areas. As a result of this project and the introduction of the “Cheetah Friendly” farmer boards, two hundred and forty thousand hectares of farmland have been converted into areas that demonstrate that the cheetah and farmer can live together. 

The Outreach Education Programme has reached an excess of 100 000 learners since its inception in 2003 and has impacted on the hearts and minds of many young people who have chosen nature conservation as a career. 

Over the past two years, The Ann van Dyk Cheetah Centre has been instrumental in assisting the government with the drafting of policies for free-roaming cheetah management in South Africa.

The Centre is a non-profit organization and receives no government funding. Income is generated through tours, an adoption programme, donations and sponsorship.