The founder of the Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF), Laurie Marker, has received the lifetime achievement in research award from the Namibian government.
Marker founded the conservation fund in 1990. Originally a small research station, the CCF has grown to include a genetics laboratory, veterinary research and rangeland restoration projects.
“Today, CCF is based on a private wildlife reserve and model farm, and the organisation is recognised globally as a model for integrated conservation, research and education,” CCF spokesperson Elissa Buchter says in a press statement released yesterday.
Marker first started working in Namibia in 1977, when she brought a cheetah born in captivity in the United States to Namibia and taught her how to hunt.
The cheetah, Khayam, was recognised as the first animal ambassador for her species. International Cheetah Day is celebrated globally on 4 December to honour Khayam’s birthday.
In 2023, Marker led a team that reintroduced cheetahs from Namibia to India after they had been extinct there for decades.
“This award belongs to every person who has worked at CCF, trained at CCF or partnered with CCF over the past three decades,” Marker says of her award.
The lifetime achievement in research award was given by Namibia’s National Commission on Research, Science and Technology, which coordinates research and science activities in the country.
The awards recognise contributions to Namibia’s research ecosystem.
“Marker was recognised not only for her conservation work, but for her broader contribution to building Namibia’s scientific infrastructure and advancing research across multiple disciplines,” Buchter says.
The award was accepted on Marker’s behalf by CCF chief ecologist and forest steward Matti Nghikembua.
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