Adopt a Cheetah and Win A Trip to South Africa

Above : Kingdom of the cheetah

Pollyanna has recently accepted the role of UK ambassador to support a remarkable wild cheetah rescue and relocation programme based in South Africa. A few months ago, Pollyanna had the opportunity to visit the Ann Van Dyk Foundation, a remarkable facility which conducts long term conservation research and education programs relating to the wild cheetah to ensure its long term survival. The Centre’s work has resulted in the major achievement of helping to conserve what was once a threatened species. During her visit, Pollyanna was able to sketch the latest cheetah cubs bred for release at, and visit the hospital and rehabilitation unit. She was introduced to the centres founder, Anne Van Dyk, probably the world’s leading cheetah expert – research and observation carried out at the Foundation forms the basis of the majority of our knowledge about these big cats. For the first time, Pollyanna was able to see and sketch King Cheetahs with their unusually marked striped coats.

You and your family can take a special interest in one of Ann Van Dyk’s rehabilitated or relocated wild cheetahs, by adopting one or more of them. By selecting one of these animals and by sending your adoption donation to theAnn Van Dyk Foundation you will be playing an important role in supporting and conserving these animals.

Just 300 Adoption packages are exclusively available through the Pollyanna Pickering Foundation. Anyone who adopts a cheetah through this scheme will also be entered into a prize draw to win a Week for two at the Ann Van Dyk centre in South Africa, including flights from the UK, transfers, seven nights board in the cheetah lodge with breakfast and dinner included, and tour of the De Wildt cheetah centre, including an exclusive ‘behind the scenes’ escorted VIP tour of areas not usually open to visitors, including the hospital area and breeding centre, and the opportunity to meet an ‘ambassador’ cheetah.

Click here to choose your cheetah and adoption package and enter the Prize Draw

Adoption Order Form

Pollyanna with a rescued cheetah

The Ann Van Dyk Trust wild cheetah relocation programme:

The majority of cheetah in South Africa occur as free roaming animals on communal and commercial farmland, This means that they do not enjoy the protection given to other cheetah which live in National Parks and Nature Reserves in South Africa and they are often killed by farmers who blame them for stock losses. Confusion exists in the farming community on predator damage identification. Research by the Ann Van Dyk Cheetah Management Project has indicated that in 85% of cases, farmers wrongly believe cheetahs are responsible for the killing of stock and game animals. These losses are mainly due to predation by leopard, caracal, hyenas and also natural deaths. The Ann Van Dyk Wild Cheetah Management Program assists farmers in developing predator management plans, which are beneficial to both the cheetah and the farmer and which incorporate non-lethal predator control methods. In cases where it is found that the farmers are not tolerant to the presence of cheetah at all, the Trust capture the cheetah and relocate them onto suitable reserves and sanctuaries. So far over 140 free-ranging cheetahs have been rescued off farmlands and relocated to protected areas.

Terms and Conditions of Holiday Prize Draw

Visit the Ann Van Dyk website click here