Cheetah Conservation Fund

Education Centre Traces the Cheetah Story - And So Can You!

The graphics in the new Education Centre bring the visitor through the history of the cheetah from pre-history to current time and show the diminished range. A phylogenetic tree shows where the cheetah, different from the other 36 cat species, first branched from its early relatives, 4 million years ago. The cheetah’s biology is highlighted in an extensive series of descriptive panels, while exhibits show how the cheetah is adapted for a high-speed sprint and its specialised hunting techniques. The visitor is taken through the life cycle of the cheetah from birth to adulthood and the difficulties involved in its struggle for survival. A life-size playtree has been built with an explanation of the importance of these trees in a cheetah territory. A capture cage is under the tree with graphics explaining how farmers live- trap cheetahs to remove them from their lands, and how detrimental this is to the species’ survival.

You can study the display panels shown below by taking our Virtual Tour of the Education Centre - select the full Graphic Tour or the lower-bandwidth Text-based Tour.

The Biology Room with its many explanatory panels depicting the life of the cheetah.

A phylogenetic tree shows how the 36 cat species are related and how they evolved.

A life-size playtree and capture cage.

Namibian support was very important for the new Centre,
enabling the final part of the Education Exhibits Building to be completed.
The funds were presented by John Murphy (right), CCF Board member and Chairman of De Beers Namibia.