The campaign involved 500,000 specially marked Whiskas packs that were available in retailers nationwide to promote the support of cheetah conservation and awareness.
Dinika Naidoo, Whiskas Brand Manager says that it has been an exceptionally proud moment for the brand to be donating the sum of money to such a fantastic initiative. "With around only 500 free-ranging cheetah left in our country, it's inspiring to see the incredible work the team at the Cheetah Outreach Trust are doing every day to educate the public as well as stabilise and grow the Southern African cheetah population."
The Cheetah Outreach Trust is the biggest cheetah conservation project in South Africa due to the fact that they have a predator-farmer conflict mitigation programme within all wild cheetah territories in the country. The Trust works closely with relevant role-players to combat illegal trade as well as with local and regional NGOs to implement conservation strategies.
Annie Beckhelling, Founder of the Cheetah Outreach Trust says, "It is a complete privilege to be part of the conservation of this elegant and glamorous predator. Many organisations access cheetah for advertising purposes and yet do not invest in conservation deliveries, which is why I am so appreciative of Whiskas recognition of our commitment. This generous donation will be pivotal in ensuring we will be able to deliver our conservation promises."
To mark the occasion, Annie Beckhelling asked Whiskas to officially name one of the trust Anatolian puppies just born to a working dog. The Anatolian dogs are a critical part of cheetah conservation in Southern Africa and form the basis of the extensive livestock guarding programme. Anatolian dogs have been placed on farms in cheetah range in Limpopo and the North West Province, where they have reduced livestock losses from 95 to 100%. Though mostly used to guard sheep and goats, for the first time in southern Africa, some dogs have been used to successfully guard cattle and in one instance, wild game.
Naidoo says that the relationship with the Cheetah Outreach Trust coincides with Whiskas' Nurture their Nature campaign which acknowledges the inherent nature of domestic cats in relation to their wild big cat cousins.
For more information: www.whiskas.co.za.
If you'd like to make a personal donation to the Cheetah Outreach Trust, details are available here.
