cheetah capture and immobilisation handbook - Cat Specialist Group

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Figure 6: Using bait to catch a cheetah (2.3) Catching an entire group of cheetahs Cheetahs are relatively social felids, and as such often live in groups, such as a mother with cubs, newly independent littermate groups or a coalition of adult males. If one cheetah is captured, it is vital to ensure that the entire social group is trapped at the same time. If this does not happen, cubs still dependent on their mother (cheetah cubs are not independent until 16-18 months old) may starve, while the members of the group that remain free may struggle to hunt after losing a group member and may resort to taking livestock. To make sure that the entire group of cheetahs is captured, when one capture is made adjacent traps should be set up beside the trapped individual. These traps should be left open for at least another day and night, with other access points to the trapped cheetah blocked off, ensuring that the trapped cat has plenty of shade and water, as well as some food if it has been trapped for more than one night. 9
Figure 7: Members of a social group being used to catch other group members In this way, the captured cheetah’s calls should attract social group members and they should subsequently be able to be trapped. Once two cheetahs have been captured, the one captured first can be removed to a holding facility while the procedure is repeated with the second cat, until it is fairly certain that all members of the social group have been captured. Some farmers use scat (faeces) from trapped cheetahs to try to capture other cheetahs in the area. It is important to check around the trap sites regularly for signs such as fresh cheetah tracks as an indication of whether there are other cheetahs in the group still free. (2.4) Handling cheetahs once they have been captured Once the entire social group has been caught, the cheetahs must be removed and taken to the holding facility for examination. This is done by transferring the animals from the box trap into a transport crate and the method used will be demonstrated during the course at CCF. Ideally, the transport crate should be fitted with a squeeze panel to ensure easy administration of the anaesthetic once the cheetah is at the holding facility. Cheetahs trapped in cages are very easily stressed and this should always be at the forefront of your mind. People should approach the box trap slowly and quietly, with only essential personnel coming up to the trap. All noise should be kept to a minimum, with no-one talking loudly, approaching closely in vehicles etc. To transfer the cheetah, everyone apart from the person necessary to close the crate door should stand back and stay at the end furthest from the transport crate, to encourage the cheetah into it. The transport crate should be kept dark, e.g. by covering it with a blanket, and should have no-one standing around it for the transfer. Most cheetahs will move into the crate fairly easily, although sometimes it takes a little time. Harassing the cat to move quickly by shouting and poking at it is unlikely to help speed things up and will just stress the cheetah involved. 10
Page 1 and 2: CHEETAH CAPTURE AND IMMOBILISATION
Page 3 and 4: Introduction The cheetah (Acinonyx
Page 5 and 6: Cameroon, Central African Republic,
Page 7 and 8: (b) Other capture techniques Leg-ho
Page 9: Figure 5: Setting a trap along a ro
Page 13 and 14: Section 3 - Chemical capture (3.1)
Page 15 and 16: Table 1: Weights and dosage for che
Page 17 and 18: Darts can be projected either using
Page 19 and 20: At this stage, someone should be ap
Page 21 and 22: Important points regarding anaesthe
Page 23 and 24: Figure 12: Tail identification phot
Page 25 and 26: Figure 15: A radio-collared cheetah
Page 27 and 28: Figure 16: Collecting blood from th
Page 29 and 30: This is particularly important with
Page 31 and 32: (c) Collection of data Vernier call
Page 33 and 34: Figure 20: Crowded lower incisors (
Page 35: Figure 23: Eye injury seen in captu

cheetah capture and immobilisation handbook - Cat Specialist Group

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