Mission

In partnership with the Somaliland government, the new Cheetah Rescue and Conservation Centre will serve as a rehabilitation site for sick and injured orphaned cheetah cubs confiscated from the illegal wildlife trade by the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (MoECC). The cheetahs, mostly seized when they were weeks to a few months old, will be cared for at the CRCC for the remainder of their lives. Due to the nature of their injuries, suffered from their initial capture and/or from nutritional deficiencies and improper care in the hands of their captors, most will require long term veterinary care. Even as adults, they can never be released back into the wild. When completed, the center will feature vast outdoor enclosures providing a naturalistic environment for the animals.

In 2021, CCF took significant steps forward with the development of the Somaliland Cheetah Rescue and Conservation Centre (CRCC). I joined the CCF Somaliland team in May 2021 and have been focused on this development project since. Earlier in the year, Dr. Laurie Marker CCF’s Founder and Executive Director, welcomed Landscape Architect and Building Planner, Matt Renninger to Somaliland to conduct site visits with her at Geed-Deeble and work on the Master Plan for the new Centre. Matt had previous experience working with CCF in developing the Master Plan and designing some of the facilities at the International Research and Education Centre in Namibia. Most recently the Cheetah View Lodge and the Lightfoot Educational area, and the new commissary and office block.