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’ll participate in wildlife surveys, help feed and care for captive cheetahs on-site, and assist with data entry. If a wild cheetah is captured during your expedition, you’ll also help collect biomedical samples to assess the animal’s health and then work with the researchers to release it back into the wild. Additional duties may include 24-hour waterhole wildlife surveys (August team), assisting in the day-to-day operations of the farm, and spreading the word about cheetah conservation among local farmers and schoolchildren. During 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.

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.