Members of the Ann van Dyk Cheetah Centre (more commonly known as the De Wildt Cheetah and Wildlife Centre) were invited to the SANParks Junior Ranger East Rand Region meeting, on Saturday, at the Northfield Methodist Church.
Rita Groenewald, Ann van Dyk Cheetah Centre education manager, gave the children and their parents a short talk on the cheetah and the conservation of wild animals.
She said those present on Saturday were an “army of conservationists” and that education is key in the conservation of animals.
Over the past 40 years, the cheetah centre has bred over 800 cubs, largely contributing to the cheetah moving off the endangered list.
The children were given first hand experience on the beauty of nature shortly after Yeats, the centre’s four-year-old male ambassador cheetah, made his way into the room, lead by Groenewald.
Yeats stood still for a while after entering the hall and looked at the crowd of people, after which he hopped onto a table, in front of the eager audience.
Everyone in the audience was given an opportunity to pet him for a few seconds.
Neville Whitehead, a SANParks Honory Ranger and junior ranger coordinator for the East Rand region, encouraged youngsters to become junior rangers.
The SANParks Junior Ranger East Rand Region consists of 20 high school children who have a passion for the environment and conservation.
They are managed and taught about conservation, national parks and biomes, to name a few, by the SANParks Honorary Rangers.
The youngsters meet once a month at the Northfield Methodist Church and embark on field trips and compile portfolios of their work throughout the year, for which they receive certificates.
Whitehead said the aim of the programme is to educate the youth on the environment and foster a love for it.
To join the SANParks Junior Ranger East Rand Region, contact Bill Viljoen on 084 921 2424.
