Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) is located near Otjiwarongo, Namibia, about three hours north of the capital city of Windhoek. CCF’s Field Research and Education Centre sets the international standard for researchers and students seeking to learn about the cheetah (https://cheetah.org/about/who-we-are/ccf-global/).
Participants will be staying at the CCF Educational Light foot camp, a real African experience. Nine of the rugged huts in the camp are equipped with 3 to 4 beds each with bedding, towels, electrical sockets, and a small shelf to pack out clothing (please note no air-conditioning, fridges, or any added luxuries). At this camp, you have shared wash stations with hot, but open-air showers (no roof), and a kitchenette with fridge, microwave, and shelving. Nearby outside is a nice picnic and fire area for participants to relax. In addition, some of the participants may be staying at the dorms or rondavels.
From this base situated 44km east of the city of Otjiwarongo, CCF conducts research into the biology, ecology, demographics and genetics of cheetah and uses this data to inform conservation programmes designed to support the species. CCF provides livestock and rangeland management training for farmers at the Centre, which includes classroom presentations, field work, and how to use non-lethal predator control tools like the CCF Livestock Guarding Dog.
CCF is a full-scale conservation non-governmental organization dedicated to saving the cheetah and its ecosystem. The organization focuses on keeping cheetahs in the wild and public education, providing sanctuary to injured or orphaned cheetahs that cannot be released back into the wild. The CCF’s Research and Education Centre, which overlooks the beautiful Waterberg Plateau, offers numerous opportunities for observing and photographing the surrounding wildlife and learning about cheetahs. This makes it a particularly suitable location for courses related to wildlife, conservation, and environmental studies.
The Waterberg Plateau Park, located east of Otjiwarongo and bordering CCF land, is a significant educational and ecological site. This national park, declared in 1972, covers a surface area of 400 km² and features a characteristic Table Mountain that rises about 200 meters above the surrounding area. The park’s top layers consist of porous rock, allowing for lush vegetation and a diverse ecosystem at the mountain’s foot. The area is home to a variety of wildlife, including rhinoceros, African buffalo, giraffes, antelopes, leopards, cheetahs, over 90 other mammal species, and 200 bird species. The park offers educational activities and immersive experiences in wildlife observation and conservation studies.