Dr. Laurie Marker, Executive Director of the Cheetah Conservation Fund, an international research based organisation based in Namibia, confirmed the existence of cheetah in Angola last week during a three-day survey conducted in Iona National Park, located in the Namibe province. This arid area in the extreme southwest of the country was one of the former ranges of the cheetah; however, due to Angola’s three-decade civil war, the cheetah’s status in the country has been unknown.

The 1.6 million hectare lona National Park, proclaimed a reserve on 2 October 1937, is located in southwest Angola, bordering Namibia. Although it is very dry, the area is perfect cheetah habitat with thousands of hectares of open savannah and a growing prey base such as springbok and oryx, two species that adapt to an arid environment and are the cheetah’s primary prey.

During the rapid survey, Marker used Global Positioning Systems (GPS) through the area, marking where game was found and recording the variety of habitats. “I probably saw a thousand springbok.” Marker stated. “Then, on the last day in the park, we were down by dry river beds where there are big trees that look like what we know in Namibia as “playtrees” or territorial marking areas usually used by male cheetahs. We found nine different marking trees, very similar to what we find in Namibia and in remote places like Algeria. I found cheetah scat in the tree. By one of the trees, two big male cheetahs ran out. It was very exciting — there are cheetahs in Angola.”

The rapid ecological survey, designed to assess the habitat and prey in the area as potential cheetah habitat, was carried out at the urging of Alvaro Baptista, owner of the Omauaha Lodge near Iona National Park in Namibe, who visited Marker in Namibia in 2006. Baptista informed Marker of cheetah sightings in the area and encouraged the undertaking of an extensive survey to confirm their presence and to help develop a conservation plan for their long-term protection and survival.

According to Baptista, “This Park is not really functioning as a national park, as personnel and infrastructure are nonexistent at this point. However, visits to the area have recently been conducted by people from both the World Bank and the United Nations Development Programme.” Baptista has been active in the Namibe area his entire life and is considered one of the guardians of the Park. His Omauaha Lodge is one of the only tourism camps near the Iona Park.

Marker’s visit to Angola was endorsed by the Kissama Foundation, which has the mandate to support the development of the National Parks of Angola since peace came to the country in 2002. As a result of meetings in Angola’s capital, Luanda, Marker hopes to develop collaborations with Kissama, as well as universities and relevant government officials.

The goal is to develop a program using CCF’s proven methods for censusing cheetah populations and assisting with community, government and non-government organizations in education awareness of cheetahs and bio-diversity to show the benefits of a predator’s role in a healthy ecosystem and ecotourism.

WWF’s list of “10 to Watch in 2010” includes such well-known and beloved species as tigers, polar bears, pandas, and rhinos, as well as lesser-known species such as bluefin tuna and mountain gorillas.

WWF scientists say these, and many other species, are at greater risk than ever before because of habitat loss, poaching, and climate change-related threats.

This year’s watch list includes five species directly impacted by climate change, as well as the monarch butterfly, the species at the center of an endangered biological phenomenon.

Tigers are at the forefront of this year’s list, with the official Year of the Tiger slated to begin in February 2010.

Click here to learn more about WWF’s “10 to Watch in 2010” list.

Capturing the hearts of everyone at the Woodland Park Zoo since their birth in May 2009, newly named snow leopard cubs Gobi (male) and Batu (pronounced BAH-too a female cub) make perfect ambassadors for their wild cousins. These endangered but endearing cubs bring a sense of mischief and magic to the zoo which inspires children to be curious and adults to become aware.

“Visitors are truly connecting with the cubs, watching them venture into their exhibit, exploring new sights and smells,” said Dr. Lisa Dabek Woodland Park Zoo’s Director of Field Conservation. “That powerful connection is key, because these precious conservation ambassadors help us highlight the critical conservation efforts that are underway to protect one of the most endangered, elusive animals in the wild—the snow leopard.”

With as few as 3,500 estimated to be remaining in the wild, these cubs represent an important conservation milestone for Woodland Park Zoo and North American zoos accredited by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums, helping to bolster the genetic diversity of this endangered species.

Woodland Park Zoo has a long history of caring for snow leopards and conserving them in the wild, since the zoo’s first snow leopards arrived in 1972 from the USSR. Under the Snow Leopard Species Survival Plan (SSP), managed by AZA, 28 cubs have been born at the zoo and sent to zoos worldwide to help diversify the genetic pool of the managed population.

As part of Woodland Park Zoo’s partnership with field conservation projects around the world, the zoo partners with the Seattle-based Snow Leopard Trust. The Trust was created in 1981 by the late Woodland Park Zoo staff member Helen Freeman, the namesake of the mother of the cubs, Helen. Through innovative programs, effective partnerships and the latest science, the Snow Leopard Trust is saving these magnificent cats and improving the lives of people who live in the snow leopard countries of Central Asia.

Celebrate Christmas this year with….

A present that reflects your passion for the planet!

The Woodland Park Zoo Giving Catalog contains many examples of how your donation can be directed to support the zoo and its inhabitants.

Your gift can go directly to a specific part of the zoo, or you can tell us to apply it to the areas of greatest need.

A unique gift, handcrafted from the heart!

The Snow Leopard Trust has a wide range of colorful and cultural wares available through their online shop. From toys to t-shirts there is something for everyone. It’s a wonderful feeling to know that your purchase will help save the snow leopard by supporting the Trust’s various conservation projects and providing fair trade for the communities who rely on this valuable source of income.