A major conservation initiative to save the cheetah from extinction
A major conservation initiative to save the cheetah from extinction is being supported by award-winning Yorkshire Wildlife Park and WildLife Foundation.
04 December 2025
Rangers are planning to visit the conservation education centre in Somalia during the project to support the endangered species breeding programme.
Visitors to the park will also be encouraged to contribute to the work, which is being funded by the charity based at the park, The WildLife Foundation.
The charity has agreed to provide up to £45,000 to support the 3 year programme, which aims to strengthen community-based cheetah conservation and increase sustainable livelihoods in Somaliland.
The initiative was announced to celebrate International Cheetah Day today (Dec 4th).
Cheryl Williams, Chief Executive of The WildLife Foundation, revealed: “The Foundation has signed an agreement with The Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) to raise funds for their Protecting Cheetahs Project.
“We initiated a partnership with CCF earlier this year and have managed to raise sizeable donations for their projects.
“They have enlightened us on their extraordinary successes in rehabilitating cheetahs and we have seen how crucial our funding is for their projects.
“By continuing our partnership and increasing our fundraising efforts, we will be closer towards achieving our goals and saving the cheetah from extinction.”
The project is an integral part of CCF’s wider mission to combat climate change, restore habitats, prevent human-wildlife conflict and halt the illegal wildlife pet trade.
The cheetah is the most endangered big cat in Africa and is rapidly heading towards extinction, with less than 7,500 remaining in the wild. It is now the most endangered big cat in Africa.
Director of Development at CCF UK, James Hanaway said: “We are so grateful to Yorkshire Wildlife Park and The WildLife Foundation for their contributions.
“Members of the CCF and our Founder, Dr. Laurie Marker, have visited the park in the past, seen the wonderful habitats in place for YWP’s own cheetahs and observed the incredible conservation efforts.
“We are confident that their education work and funding will continue to be successful in raising awareness and protecting the cheetahs.”
The CCF Education, Research and Conservation Headquarters was established in 1990 in Namibia and more recently they have established a Cheetah Rescue and Conservation Centre, complete with Education facilities in Somaliland. Both with a vision to see a world in which cheetahs live and flourish in coexistence with people within a sustainable system that is protective of the environment, socially responsible, and economically viable.
YWP’s cheetahs Darcy and Brooke, who have contributed to the European Endangered Species Programme, live in the park’s Cheetah territory – a 10,000-sqaure metre reserve enriched with caves and grasslands. The three reserves and two houses form a breeding complex which is believed to be one of the largest in Europe.
The WildLife Foundation is at the forefront of conservation initiatives around the world for threatened species including Polar Bears, Black Rhinos, Giant Otters and Amur Leopards.
Yorkshire Wildlife Park, which puts conservation at the heart of all its activities, offers visitors a mesmerising walk-through experience coming almost face to face with some of the world’s most beautiful and at-risk species, including Polar Bears, Black Rhinos, Giraffes and African Painted Dogs.