New arrivals on UmPhafa - UmPhafa

The long-awaited introduction of two new male cheetahs happened on 24th May 2025.

They both arrived after a long journey from different ends of the country – Duma arriving from the Ashia Cheetah Centre in the Western Cape, and Tswalu joining us from Tswalu Game Reserve from the Southern edge of the Kalahari.

To put it into perspective, Duma was in his travelling crate for 14 hours and Tswalu for 12 hours – with precision timing the two cheetah met in Bloemfontein before travelling together to UmPhafa. They both did 1,948km (1,210 miles).

The organisation was all down to the Ashia Cheetah Centre and Cheetah Advisory Group part of the Endangered Wildlife Trust, without the support of these two entities, UmPhafa would never have received their founding population of cheetah, and we can’t thank them enough!

The Future

The boys arrived at approx. 10pm and were released immediately into their respective bomas, they both had an impala snack waiting for them after their long drive.

They are both doing well and the plan is to eventually bond them, forming a male coalition that can traverse the Reserve together – this will take time but it is an exciting project for the UmPhafa team and the Interns that join us during this period.

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