Kentish Express Ashford & District
Cheetah which hit headlines set for release into wild
Hand-reared Saba escaped zoo enclosure
A cheetah which sparked panic after escaping its enclosure at Howletts is one of two set to be released into the wild.
Two-year-old Saba, who has been hand-reared in the home of park owner Damian Aspinall and his wife Victoria, will be set free in South Africa this spring.
He and fellow two-year-old Nairo will become the first captive-born hand-raised cubs introduced on the continent.
It’s a big move for Saba, who hit the headlines in November 2018 after squeezing though a gap in his perimeter fencing and into a deer reserve at Howletts, which is the sister park to Port Lympne.
Two of the animals died in the resulting chaos after running into wooden railings as they fled.
Saba was already a familiar face to many, with the Aspinalls sharing heart-warming pictures and updates on Instagram since his birth.
And the couple admit it will be difficult to say goodbye when he is released into the Mount Camdeboo Private Game Reserve, a 14,000-hectare property in the South Africa’s Great Karoo region.
But ahead of the move Saba and Nairo will first travel 6,013 miles to Ashia’s Cheetah Center in the Western Cape
Mr Aspinall, who will personally release the pair with his wife, said: “It will be difficult to say goodbye to Saba and Nairo but finding ways to return animals to the wild is something I believe in passionately.
“This approach may challenge the zoo community, but it is the right thing to do and I sincerely hope more zoos around the world finally take notice and follow suit.
“With fewer than 7,000 cheetah remaining in the wild, it is more important than ever to support the wild population by bringing captive-bred animals back to their ancestral homes for rewilding.
“We at the Aspinall Foundation have proven time and time again that it can work.”
Cheetah are listed as Vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, with an estimated 6,674 in the wild.
They only inhabit about 10% of their historic range.
The Aspinall Foundation, which manages conservation projects in the Congo, Gabon, Indonesia, Madagascar and Southern Africa, is seeking to raise £100,000 to help rescue animals in South Africa.
■ To make a donation, visit www.aspinallfoundation.org
‘This approach may challenge the zoo community, but it is the right thing to do and I hope more zoos around the world finally take notice and follow suit...’