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Ouucchh...that one hurt. Just to show everyone how man thinks. One thing that we have to remember is that we have different factions, those that intrude, those that want to save.

Unfortunately the ones that let nature go it's course & also cull to save other specie is not the ones that kill the environment & I think they should be given a break. Very difficult position they are in.

true, it is really a catch 22, isn't it? I really am in two minds about all of this...I actually know very little as well...I get too upset, so I tend not to listen/watch stuff to do with culling/not putting out fires...

Isn't there a way us that actually care can do more? I just feel that in a few years, my children will have to look at some animals only in books...

I too am worried about " our little skinny" I say "our" because we too had the pleasure of meeting Skinny and Mom in Jan 2008
http://tinypic.com/usermedia.php?uo=6UC ... 1oOA%3D%3D

Come on Skinny..you have to get through this one !!!

I agree animallover.

I often think, we have intruded so much, killed so much.. is it not our duty to to take a more active role

This weekend, an eldery friend was talking about her bush experience in the North Cape. She spoke of horizons swimming in Springbok... indeed we are far from that

I understand that the powers that be, do not want to destroy balance, but from my point of view, there was no balance to start with..

If you read accounts of the areas destroyed by hunting, it will take a long time to even touch the destuction of our ancestors.

I am very angry with them

My feeling, time for another frame of reference. One that is more compassionate.

a comment on anthropomorhaphism, certainly a problem when it comes to a Disney type sentimentality.

Is this here?

I have not heard one person giving Skinny human qualities, unless, pain, thirst and hunger remain the domains of humans..

this is just purely a cry of compassion.

Here we can see the video perfectly!
What a sweet video!
Caracal, it's wonderful to see Skinny exactly as when se first saw it too!
I even come to think we were at the same spot in January!

Come on Skinny !

Taken 25th Oct

P@M, Oct 25th, was it when Skinny was injured already?



Edit: I mixed up October and November... obviously Skinny was okay on Oct,25! Sorry!

@Pikasso -- no, he was absolutely fine.

I think he was injured the following week

I also hope,skinny and mum are still togehter!!

Pic taken 1. October 08,from Urikaruus ,direction Dalkeith,7h15 in the
morning!

Any more news on Skinny???? We also had the pleasure of meeting him in July/Aug 2008........be strong Skinny

Thanks Ingrid60 and Jo for the pictures ..

Hope he recovered

We are so impatient to meet him again next January ..

Hi,Vahine!

I think,Moose comes back next week!She could know something about
the little fellow!!

I have received the following official reply from Dr. Gus Mills:

A FREAK ACCIDENT.

Gus Mills

Cheetah females face daunting challenges raising cubs. In the Serengeti only 5% of cubs that are born become adults. Predation on small cubs by especially lions, and even desertion by mothers when the cubs are still in the den due to food scarcity are the major reasons for their low reproductive success. In the Kalahari it is no different, although lion predation is not a big factor, other predators such as jackals may be responsible for the disappearance of small cubs and even more so than in the Serengeti finding enough food for herself and her cubs is always a concern for the mother.

One of our radio collared females, Elena, gave birth to four cubs in September 2007. Although all four survived the two months denning period, once they left the den and started following the mother she struggled to find enough food for them. Within the first six weeks of leaving the den she lost three cubs, one by one, as they became weak through lack of food and were seemingly unable to keep up with her. However, by January 2008 the rains had come and with them a supply of springbok lambs. This gave Elena and her remaining cub Anton a boost. Since then she has raised Anton on a diet of springbok and steenbok in and around the northern Auob.

In mid-November I received a message that Anton was limping badly on his left front leg. I went out and found him and his mother close to 14th Windmill. The leg looked bad, it was swollen and he could not put any weight on it. The injury appeared to be at the top of the foot at the “wrist”. With San tracker Buks Kruiper we back tracked the spoor of the two cheetahs to try and find out how the injury had occurred. Not far from the place we found them we discovered that they had killed a steenbok two days earlier. I thought that perhaps Anton had fallen in a hole while chasing the steenbok as by now he is starting to play a more active role in hunting. However, we couldn’t find anything on the tracks that suggested this.

While searching for clues around the kill site I found the skull of the steenbok. It was a male and when I picked up the skull I noticed that the tip of one of its horns had broken off. Closer inspection revealed that it was a very recent break and I also noticed some hair stuck in the broken area (see photo). I am almost certain that this was cheetah hair (I still await confirmation from the lab about this). Reconstructing what happened it seems that once Elena had caught the steenbok she released it and gave it to Anton to practice killing as cheetah females with large cubs often do. The steenbok must have butted the inexperienced cheetah in the leg and in the ensuing struggle the horn broke off, thus causing the injury.

It is SANParks policy not to interfere with natural processes and so we could not intervene in this incident. However, it is now 18 days since the incident and Anton is still alive. He manages to keep up with his mother and she has managed to supply an ample amount of food. They have moved from 14th Windmill right up to Mata Mata, a straight line distance of nearly 30 km. I was encouraged yesterday when I saw them that although he is still walking with difficulty, for the first time he is putting weight on the leg and the swelling has gone. I don’t know if he will make it, but if he does he will provide good genes for the Kalahari population. If he does not then perhaps his genes are not the best for this environment. Allowing for natural selection and the survival of the fittest is the best way to manage the Kgalagadi cheetah population.

This report by Gus will be seen as the final word on the entire debate regarding intervention and exceptions to the Park's management policy; we would however appreciate any reports from visitors as to what Anton is up to; when possible for Gus, he'll post details regarding Anton's fate and/or whereabouts in the Park.

Thank you
And the history is much appreciated