Cheetah Conservation Fund

A Tear

From a distance there is a tear,
Receiving one, but stalking all.
The dark eye watches you from
Within the tall grasses.
Comes closer.
The muscles become tense,
Suddenly there is a dust of speed.
A strong body curved with strength
Gets his one
As he lies with pride,
You will notice
The tear is a cry
For Survival.

Cindy du Toit, Grade 9 (1994)

The Cheetah

Timid and shy
Powerful and fast
Hiding in the tallest grass
Tiny ears, amber eyes
In the sun the cheetah lies
When the cheetah
Senses danger
He prepares to fight the stranger
When the cheetah eats his prey
The lions and the leopards
Often take it away
Then the cheetah has no food,
Because the lions and the leopards
Were so rude
So please understand the cheetah's plight,
For if you shoot him it won't be right
So don't let the cheetah become extinct,
It's the most beautiful animal on earth,
I think

Julie Ann de Villiers, Age 14 (1994)

Shinga—The Cheetah

Shinga, whose name means "Cheetah," was born in the Northeast, in Owamboland. He has one brother and one sister. The three cubs are two years old. Shinga has a small round head, a thin waist and a big chest. His tail is long and thick, which will help him turn quickly when he is chasing after his prey. His legs are long and he can run very fast over a short distance.

Shinga's face always looks as if he has been crying. He has two black lines which run from his eyes to the corners of his mouth. But Shinga is not a sad cheetah, because he lives freely on a farm in Namibia. His coat is pale brown and spotted all over. The spots are round and black. This makes it easier for him to hide in the bush. He is not like other cats because he cannot pull in his claws.

But the cubs do have enemies.
Shinga and the other cubs have the lion and man as their enemies, so the people of Namibia must help save them.

Ryan Thompson, Grade 4 (1994)