On 3 June, Carnivore Conservation Unit manager Derek van der Merwe offered the Endangered Wildlife Trust’s assistance to recapture well-known female cheetah, Njozi, who had left the confines of the Rietvlei Nature Reserve in Pretoria and had undertaken an unexpected adventure in Gauteng.

The lone resident Cheetah at Rietvlei, Njozi had left the confines of the reserve on 2 June, and it was after attempts to return her to Rietvlei that Derek had called the Rietvlei reserve management and offered the EWTs assistance to bring her home.

Njozi’s tracking collar was probably her saving grace as reserve staff were able to monitor her movements until help could arrive. During the day on Monday she had travelled 18km towards Bapsfontein.  On Monday night she travelled more than 15km towards Kameelzynkraal where Derek and a team including a wildlife vet, City of Tshwane and Rietvlei Nature Reserve officials, managed to safely recapture her, thanks to landowners Clarissa de Bruto, Monique Venter and Johan Lottering.

Although Njozi is usually comfortable around vehicles and a favourite among tourists at Rietvlei, she became skittish in unfamiliar territory, hiding in dense thicket and mielie fields that made initial capture efforts difficult.  A helicopter was quickly called in for a swift and safe retrieval, ensuring Njozi’s smooth return.

Cheetahs pose a very low risk to humans and are often misunderstood. Human-wildlife conflict can be minimised through awareness, proper management, and the use of technology, like tracking collars, which help us monitor and intervene at times like these. 

We would like to say a special thank you to the Aspinall Foundation for funding the helicopter search, wildlife vet Dr Shaun Beverly for the veterinary expertise and Lean from Powered Flight Charters for his chopper flying skills. We also thank our donors @metrofibre for making this rescue operation possible as well as the Rietvlei Reserve Staff and City of Tshwane for their support.