In Defence Of Otjitotongwe

THIS is in reference to a letter published in The Namibian 10/11/2006, headlined ‘The plight of the captive cheetah’.

First of all I request from you the e-mail address of the person that has written this “uninformed” letter. It seems as if this person is not a Namibian.I would like to inform this uninformed person where the cheetah of Otjitotongwe are coming from and what their future on this prestige lodge is rather than being shot by the farmers in Namibia.For your readers’ information I would like to inform you and expect you to publish my letter as you were very willing to place a letter from a totally misinformed person and brought this reputed lodge into disrepute.By doing so, you are doing the cheetah more harm than good and bringing the lodge that is taking care of the cheetah into disrepute.I was also a concerned, uninformed visitor to this lodge around five years ago for the first time.After all my questions were fully and professionally answered, I have been back at least once a year, if not twice.I have learned where these cheetahs come from and why they are there, as well as the good that this dedicated Nel family is doing for the cheetahs in their area.Not to speak of the joy of being there and gaining insight into the life of the cheetah.All of these cheetahs would have met with death, if it was not for the Nel family rescuing them from the guns of farmers in different areas in Namibia.They are kept in a 400-hectare enclosure, where they are roaming freely.They catch warthog, rabbits, porcupine, kudu and smaller buck.They are also fed regularly every day.They are given vitamins and if needed medication in their water.The female cheetah that is kept in the smaller enclosure was rescued from a farmer’s trap.Because she was pregnant at the time, she was monitored around the clock.The moment she gave birth, she and her cubs were removed from the 400-hectare enclosure and kept separately, for the simple reason that the male cheetahs could kill her cubs.She and her cubs are only fed in the smaller enclosure.After eating, together with her cubs, she is let out into the 40-hectare enclosure, to roam and play and even hunt for herself.Stray prey do happen to enter the 400-hectare and 40-hectare enclosures all the time.If any of these cheetahs were released on the farms in the area, they would be shot for catching the livestock of the farmers.The laws of Namibia don’t allow these animals to be transported freely to other game reserves, where they would be saved.Only certain institutions seem to have this privilege to breed, sell and release these animals onto foreign game ranches.The Nel family has tried numerous times to export cheetah to game ranches outside Namibia, without any success.The three tame cheetah roaming freely around the homestead of the Nel family have been hand-reared because their mothers were trapped animals who died.I don’t think your uninformed “Concerned Tourist” realises what dedication it takes to rear an animal straight from birth.In the beginning they have to be handfed a milk formula every two hours and then every four hours.Their bottoms have to be “tickled”, so they can urinate and defecate, as would be the case in the wild.You have to play cheetah mother to these poor animals or leave them to die of hunger and thirst.I presume your Concerned Tourist would rather see them dead than living a free and happy life with the Nels, where they give immense pleasure to the thousands of tourist visiting Otjitotongwe lodge.These three tame cheetahs are running free in the enclosure of the homestead that must be around 5 hectares, if not bigger.Viva Ojitotongwe, You have the best interests of the cheetah at heart.To you, uninformed “Concerned Tourist”, use the time that you wrote the smear letter to find the good in any conservancy and use it positively.It is my understanding and personal opinion that “Concerned Tourist” did not ask appropriate questions and/or did not listen properly.Happy Visitor Via e-mailIt seems as if this person is not a Namibian.I would like to inform this uninformed person where the cheetah of Otjitotongwe are coming from and what their future on this prestige lodge is rather than being shot by the farmers in Namibia.For your readers’ information I would like to inform you and expect you to publish my letter as you were very willing to place a letter from a totally misinformed person and brought this reputed lodge into disrepute.By doing so, you are doing the cheetah more harm than good and bringing the lodge that is taking care of the cheetah into disrepute.I was also a concerned, uninformed visitor to this lodge around five years ago for the first time.After all my questions were fully and professionally answered, I have been back at least once a year, if not twice.I have learned where these cheetahs come from and why they are there, as well as the good that this dedicated Nel family is doing for the cheetahs in their area.Not to speak of the joy of being there and gaining insight into the life of the cheetah.All of these cheetahs would have met with death, if it was not for the Nel family rescuing them from the guns of farmers in different areas in Namibia.They are kept in a 400-hectare enclosure, where they are roaming freely.They catch warthog, rabbits, porcupine, kudu and smaller buck.They are also fed regularly every day.They are given vitamins and if needed medication in their water.The female cheetah that is kept in the smaller enclosure was rescued from a farmer’s trap.Because she was pregnant at the time, she was monitored around the clock.The moment she gave birth, she and her cubs were removed from the 400-hectare enclosure and kept separately, for the simple reason that the male cheetahs could kill her cubs.She and her cubs are only fed in the smaller enclosure.After eating, together with her cubs, she is let out into the 40-hectare enclosure, to roam and play and even hunt for herself.Stray prey do happen to enter the 400-hectare and 40-hectare enclosures all the time.If any of these cheetahs were released on the farms in the area, they would be shot for catching the livestock of the farmers.The laws of Namibia don’t allow these animals to be transported freely to other game reserves, where they would be saved.Only certain institutions seem to have this privilege to breed, sell and release these animals onto foreign game ranches.The Nel family has tried numerous times to export cheetah to game ranches outside Namibia, without any success.The three tame cheetah roaming freely around the homestead of the Nel family have been hand-reared because their mothers were trapped animals who died.I don’t think your uninformed “Concerned Tourist” realises what dedication it takes to rear an animal straight from birth.In the beginning they have to be handfed a milk formula every two hours and then every four hours.Their bottoms have to be “tickled”, so they can urinate and defecate, as would be the case in the wild.You have to play cheetah mother to these poor animals or leave them to die of hunger and thirst.I presume your Concerned Tourist would rather see them dead than living a free and happy life with the Nels, where they give immense pleasure to the thousands of tourist visiting Otjitotongwe lodge.These three tame cheetahs are running free in the enclosure of the homestead that must be around 5 hectares, if not bigger.Viva Ojitotongwe, You have the best interests of the cheetah at heart.To you, uninformed “Concerned Tourist”, use the time that you wrote the smear letter to find the good in any conservancy and use it positively.It is my understanding and personal opinion that “Concerned Tourist” did not ask appropriate questions and/or did not listen properly.Happy Visitor Via e-mail