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Announcement: Cheetah Conservation Biology Training Course
An international training course in Cheetah Conservation Biology will be held in Namibia from 22 November to 20 December 2009 at the Cheetah Conservation Fund, under the sponsorship of the Howard G. Buffet Foundation’s African Cheetah Initiative. The course will provide conservation training for international cheetah conservation biologists at CCF’s International Research and Education Centre, in conjunction with Cheetah Regional Strategic Planning partners.

The training received by participants in this course will address the needs identified in the cheetah regional plans regarding research and applied conservation methodologies for professionals in cheetah range countries. The information and practical skills provided by this selective training program will focus on building capacity to conserve cheetahs and their ecosystems. It is envisioned that these biology professionals will pass on their education to thousands of people throughout the cheetah’s remaining range countries, with the goal of achieving a profound change in people’s attitudes toward predators in general and cheetahs in particular.

With the cheetah’s populations dwindling, the cheetah’s survival depends on educated people using proven methods to reverse this trend. Many such methods have been developed or adopted in the last 20 years by CCF and a variety of other organizations, but there is no one source of information and training for wildlife conservation professionals.  Additionally, there is a lack of local professionals and stewards who are capable of recognizing, appreciating and better utilizing natural resources to achieve conservation.

By training a network of regional professionals collaborating on regional cheetah strategies, the impact will expand from local pockets of protection dotting the cheetah’s range countries to much broader, far-reaching and inter-connected swaths.  Regionalizing and unifying efforts will cause the conservation impact to be exponential. 

The target audience for the courses will be professionals within conservation and agriculture ministries, final year and graduate university students in conservation-related subjects in cheetah range countries, and the research communities from range countries.  The training offered will be a complement to current university training and upgrade those already working in the field (e.g. wildlife managers) on new concepts, skills and techniques for standardized collection, collation, analysis and reporting on cheetahs and their ecosystems.  Bringing together participants from a variety of cheetah range countries will promote a unified and systematic approach to conservation including research, monitoring and wildlife-conflict mitigation measures.  Our objectives are to empower individuals with knowledge and skills in conservation and management that can be altered to fit each regional country. Our ultimate aim is to address the issues outlined in the cheetah regional strategies, thereby securing a future for the cheetah in these range countries.

Course Sites:
The course will be conducted mainly at the CCF’s facilities in Otjiwarongo, which is located approximately 300 km north of Windhoek, the capital city of Namibia. The CCF site, although best known for its cheetahs, also includes such species as oryx, kudu, hartebeest, zebra, giraffe and numerous other ungulates. There will be a number of field trips from CCF during the duration of the course, and participants may also visit Etosha National Park.

Course Costs:
The Howard G. Buffet Foundation supports the course fee and all training expenses (room, board, instruction fees, course activities and supplies, local travel, etc). However, applicants are expected to cover their own airfare, health insurance, and visa costs. A limited number of scholarships are available for half the cost of roundtrip airfare to Namibia.  All applicants requesting this partial support must submit a letter with their application that justifies their financial need. They must also confirm that they have secured financial support from other sources to supplement the partial scholarship. Also, please understand that applicants who do not require financial assistance for airfare are given preference.  
 
Eligibility and Application:
The courses are most appropriate for those involved in cheetah conservation throughout the world, particularly in Africa. However, those interested in conservation biology, biodiversity inventory and monitoring, animal ecology and behavior, and protected area management will also be considered. Cheetah researchers, agriculture and community extension officers, biologists, as well as wildlife personnel from government agencies, non-governmental organizations and universities in developing countries, are all eligible to apply for the course. Target participants work in cheetah range countries.

The application form must be completed in full and submitted with all requested application materials.

The deadline for applications is October 18th, 2009
Approximately 20 applicants will be selected for the courses and preference will be given to those who apply early. Successful applicants will be notified of their selection as soon as possible after the closing date.

For further particulars, or to submit your application, please contact:
Leigh Whelpton, Cheetah Conservation Fund, Phone: + 264 67 306225,
Fax #1: +264 67 306247, Fax #2: +264 88 61 3971 
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**E-mail is preferred, but if faxing in application materials, please fax to both numbers listed above. 
 
 

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