De Wildt Cheetah and Wildlife Centre

De Wildt Cheetah and Wildlife Centre has gained international recognition for bringing the cheetah back from the brink of extinction through its captive breeding programmes. This success has been unparalleled anywhere else in the world.

Nestled in the foothills of the Magaliesberg in South Africa's North West Province, the De Wildt Cheetah Research Centre is situated an hour from Johannesburg and forty-five minutes from Pretoria.

It is close to the Hartbeespoort Dam, a popular destination for day excursions from Pretoria and Johannesburg

De Wildt offers you the opportunity to learn more about fascinating creatures such as the wild dog, cheetah and various species of owls and vultures. During your visit an experienced guide will take you on a guided tour.

The De Wildt Cheetah Centre was established in 1971 with the aim of breeding endangered species. Over the past two decades the Centre's efforts have resulted in the major achievement of breeding what was once a threatened species, the cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus). Over the years, nearly 600 cheetah cubs have been born at De Wildt - a dramatic contrast to the days when the cheetah population of South Africa was estimated at a mere 700.

While the cheetah project was the base from which the Centre launched its conservation ethic, it soon widened to include other rare and endangered animal species such as wild dog, brown hyaena, serval, suni antelope, blue and red duiker, bontebok, riverine rabbit and vultures - including the very rare Egyptian vulture.

Many of these have been successfully bred for later reintroduction into the wild, thus helping to repopulate areas where such species have disappeared or are no longer abundant.

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