On the Expedition
Help the world's fastest mammal in a race against extinction in Namibia's ranching heartland.
Your team will be based at Eland's Joy, a 15,000-hectare working farm and headquarters of the Cheetah Conservation Fund. You will assist the CCF staff with the day-to-day duties associated with active and ongoing research, conservation, and education programs both in the field and on the farm. Primary duties will include participating in wildlife surveys, assisting with the livestock guarding dog program and the management of their corresponding goat and sheep herds, helping with various aspects of cheetah husbandry, contributing to vital data collection and entry, on-going archiving of research documents, and conducting a 12-hour waterhole count. Earthwatch teams can also have the opportunity to aid CCF staff with radio tracking and monitoring of cheetahs. Should you choose to participate in a recreational trip to Etosha National Park, the largest National Park in Namibia, you’ll have a chance to view elephants, zebras, lions, rhinos, giraffes, many species of antelope, and perhaps even a cheetah in the wild. Please note, however, that the Etosha excursion is an additional expense and not a CCF activity.
Meals and Accommodations
At Eland's Joy, you'll stay in two-person bungalows, or rondavels, with sinks and beds with mosquito nets. In a separate unisex bathhouse you'll find showers with limited hot water and flush toilets. Laundry is washed regularly by camp staff. The camp is solar-powered and has potable water. A staff cook will prepare most meals but volunteers may occasionally be asked to share in cooking duties. You’ll be able to enjoy your meals in a shady, thatched-roof pavilion with a view of the Namibian bush.
About the Research Area
The Republic of Namibia is a large, sparsely populated country on Africa’s southwest coast. Since achieving independence in 1990 the country has enjoyed nearly two decades of stability. Namibia’s national language is English, though Afrikaans and German are widely spoken. The expedition is based out of the 14,000-acre farm Elandsvreugde (“Eland’s Joy”). Besides cheetahs, the farm is home to many species, including kudus, hartebeest, oryx, duiker, steenbok, warthogs, jackals, leopards, brown hyenas, and numerous bird species, as well as an array of smaller animals.
Eland’s Joy is situated in the north-central part of Namibia, approximately 45 kilometers east of the town of Otjiwarongo. Namibia’s capital city, Windhoek, is about three and a half hours’ drive south. This environment is the last stronghold of the wild cheetah.