The Selati Wilderness Foundation NPC has partnered with a wine company, Four Paws Wine, to raise funds for cheetah conservation. In a press statement, the foundation says its 26 000 hectares reserve, situated between Phalaborwa and Gravelotte, serves as a safe haven for various animal, bird, and plant species alike.
“However, the relentless encroachment on the natural habitat of the cheetah has led to a drastic decline of the population with cheetahs now absent from a staggering 90% of their historic range,” the statement says. In 2015, Selati began working with the Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) to reintroduce cheetahs permanently into the reserve’s ecosystem and three years later, the foundation was established to raise funds to introduce, monitor and protect endangered species such as the cheetah.
At the beginning of the year, Four Paws Wine funded the fitting of a long-range collar for one of Selati’s female cheetahs, providing invaluable data on her movements, habits, and prey species. Two wines, called Lillie 2021 (white) and Huja 2014 (red) and named after two of the founding farms that make up the Selati Game Reserve, were launched at the White River Gallery by the managing director of Four Paws Wine, Sam Hatfield, recently.
Also read: Cheetah collared at Selati Reserve
At the launch, he said each bottle of Four Paws Wine has a QR code that brings to life the cheetah conservation efforts at Selati Game Reserve. “By simply scanning the code, patrons are given the opportunity to actively contribute and support the ongoing efforts to protect and preserve the cheetahs and their habitat.”
At the event, Dr Gus and Margie Mills launched their new book, Fast Cats on Red Sands: The lives of Kalahari Cheetahs and their researchers. Four Paws Wine is available from SG Convenience stores. Alternatively, orders can be placed through the contact form on the Selati Wilderness Foundation’s website at www. selatiwf.org/four-paws-wine.
