ABOUT US:
Feracare Wildlife Centre is a recently founded organisation and stands for the care of all wild creatures. The project lives up to its name by providing a safe haven to all the animals on the farm. Our fantastic team is made up of a variety of experienced and knowledgeable staff members who are passionate and dedicated on the conservation of the species on the farm.
WHAT WE DO:
The cheetah is fast becoming extinct as a species, with numbers dwindling from over 100 000 in the 1900's to a mere 10 000 in 2000 and according to the latest statistics released in 2017, now number only in the region of 7500 individuals. In the 1970's the cheetah species was classified as endangered, however as the result of a very successful breeding project, spearheaded by the legendary Ann van Dyk, were later, in 1986 downgraded to vulnerable. Sadly, there is once again an urgent need to reclassify this species as endangered once again. In the means to secure the future of the cheetah, it is imperative to retain a strong, healthy genetic pool and this is where the vision of Feracare Wildlife Centre comes into play. We breed such a genetic pool, while researching possible areas into which cheetah can be released to ensure their long term survival. Other releases back into the wild with species such as leopard, caracal, serval, jackal, genet, tortoises, hedgehogs and a variety of bird species are not a daily occurrence but do happen and we are proud to be part of that.
WHERE ARE WE LOCATED:
We are nestled in the base of the beautiful Waterberg Mountain Range in the Limpopo Province, South Africa. We are a 856ha secure farm. Fortunately we have a great climate, our summers are hot and our winters are a perfect combination of warm and cold. We are located in a malaria-free zone of South Africa too.
History of Feracare Wildlife Centre:
We continue to strive for the follow in the footsteps of the cheetah legend herself Ann Van Dyk, and have taken over where she left off. The work that Ann herself is accomplished over a span of 46 years is truly inspiring. Feracare Wildlife Centre was a little seed that started growing when Kim Hiltrop was a young girl. Kim had a passion for animals from the start and when the time was right she decided to move from Belgium to South Africa to pursue her dream. Kim spent a number of years gaining experience with various cat species and wildlife until the opportunity arose to take over Ann van Dyk's life work, her private cheetah farm in the Waterberg area, there was not a moment of doubt and in April 2015, Feracare Wildlife Centre was born.
Our Mission Statement:
To ensure the long term survival of the cheetah species through maintaining a strong genetic pool with the aim to release the into protected areas if and when they become available.
Our Aims:
- Maintain a strong genetic pool through our cheetah breeding program
- Create an awareness of the plight of these species through education via tours and mainly our volunteer program
- Create a safe haven for our existing species
- Rehabilitation and Release of any indigenous local species where possible.
- Assist in the conservation and preservation of all the species on the farm, specific focus on the wild dog and cheetah species.
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