When a four-year-old female cheetah arrived at Nyosi Wildlife Reserve in the Eastern Cape, South Africa, she carried the hopes of a bold conservation initiative: to help rewild captive-bred cheetahs and restore genetic strength to Africa’s vulnerable cheetah populations.
Nkanyiso’s journey began at the Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre (HESC) in Limpopo, where she was born and raised. Nkanyiso was identified by project partners to enroll in the cheetah rewilding project, a collaborative effort between Nyosi Wildlife Reserve, The Metapopulation Initiative, WeWild Africa, and the Global Humane Conservation Fund of Africa. On 19 April 2023, she arrived at Nyosi Wildlife Reserve to begin her transition to life in the wild, accompanied by her Cheetah Champion, Anele Ntshiyane.
For Anele, an aspiring field guide from KwaNobuhle township, the journey with Nkanyiso is personal and symbolic. As part of Global Humane Conservation Fund of Africa’s Cheetah Champion programme, Anele was chosen to support Nkanyiso’s rewilding. After beginning her conservation path in a youth development course in 2021, Anele now assists in tracking Nkanyiso and monitoring her progress. It was Anele who proposed several names for her new companion, ultimately choosing “Nkanyiso,” which means “light” in Xhosa, as a symbol of hope and new beginnings.
After arriving, Nkanyiso spent two months in a controlled boma, adjusting to her new home. Here, she received regular meals to ensure her strength and health and was fitted with a GPS collar so her movements could be monitored when she finally ventured into the wild. Guides noticed her natural curiosity and hunting instincts beginning to emerge as she interacted with her new environment. By June, she had become more confident, and on 19 June 2023, she was released into Nyosi’s 2,600-acre reserve to start honing her hunting skills independently.
The moment Nkanyiso stepped out of the enclosure marked a pivotal milestone. As the team watched, she ventured out with little hesitation. Initially, she required supplemental food support, but by August, she had made her first successful kill – a young duiker. This marked a turning point: Nkanyiso was on her way to becoming self-sufficient, a huge achievement for any captive-born cheetah.
August 2023 was a month of triumph as Nkanyiso continued to hunt with increased skill and confidence. By October 2023, she was deemed fully self-sufficient, capable of securing her own prey and surviving independently. She was seen stalking and hunting blesboks, duikers, and even scrub hares. Each successful hunt reaffirmed the vision of the rewilding initiative – that captive-bred cheetahs, given the right support, can indeed thrive in their natural habitat.
Then, in early April 2024, a surprising twist unfolded. Nkanyiso was spotted limping, not putting any weight on her front right leg. Concerned, the team quickly moved her to an enclosure for examination, where an X-ray confirmed she had broken her leg. During this examination, the team noticed that Nkanyiso was lactating and had signs of nursing—revealing that she had cubs hidden somewhere on the reserve.
Despite the challenging circumstances, the team sprang into action. Two dedicated guides began an extensive search of the 2,600-acre reserve, racing against time to locate the cubs who, without their mother’s presence, faced serious risks. After hours of careful tracking, they discovered four healthy cubs tucked away in a dense thicket. The cubs were swiftly brought to Nkanyiso in the enclosure, where mother and cubs were reunited.
The discovery of Nkanyiso’s cubs was an immense triumph for everyone involved. The cubs symbolised not only Nkanyiso’s adaptation to the wild but also the success of the rewilding programme’s efforts to restore cheetah populations.