The Cheetah Outreach's cub rearing facility, based at Eikendal Wine Estate, was flattened by floodwaters following an electrical storm over the mountains, which caused a dam on the Eikendal upslope to rupture its wall, sending a deluge of mud, vines and water through the enclosures.
The Anatolian livestock guarding dogs' enclosures were flattened, but luckily all seven of the breeding and retired dogs housed there were found alive, scattered over Eikendal and without injury. They are currently being held in private kennels offsite.
There was extensive damage to the cub raising facility and buildings used to house the volunteers. A goat drowned, but the cheetah cubs were saved and emergency evacuated to the main facility at Paardevlei, some twenty minutes' drive away. Here they are being quarantined in a boardroom. The volunteers, having to make do with the few items they salvaged, are sleeping in offices.
Getting to grips
Dawn Glover from Cheetah Outreach says, "Although insurance will cover part of the disaster, it does not cover the very expensive clean-up or the costly private kennels currently housing the dogs, while insurance agents, assessors and structural engineers get to grips with the disaster and estimate how much damage has been done.
"In addition to the emotional stress, the disaster is also resulting in immediate financial strain to the Cheetah Outreach Trust, so any donations at this time would be greatly appreciated."
Donations can be made to FNB, branch code: 201409, account number: 62030813241, account name: CCF - Cheetah Outreach Trust or online at www.justgiving.com/cheetahoutreach-whf.
