Spring fire brings out the Cheetah

Thabazimbi – Visitors to SANParks’ Marakele National Park are in for a treat as spotting cheetah has become the norm lately!

The 70 000 hectares park is home to predators amongst other animals and the regular sighting of cheetah has added much more to visitors’ experience.

In September this year, a fire swept through more than half the park. It took fire fighters 12 days to extinguish the fire.

According to park manager at Marakele: Mphadeni Nthangeni, “The fire was a huge blow for us! On the other hand, fire as a management tool enhances biodiversity by reducing bush encroachment and enabling other plant species like the Protea to blossom.”

The park consists of bushveld and after the fire, it was more open and game viewing became easier. Antelopes gathered near the un-burnt areas to eat and naturally the predators followed. Cheetah was spotted at the western side of the park.

“We are looking forward to the summer rains in December and hope the park will start to re-grow in the areas that were hit by the fire. Until then we hope to see more of these beautiful animals roaming around the park,” Nthangeni says.

This news could not have come at a better time, since 4 December is international cheetah day – and serves as a reminder that the cheetah, like all wildlife, is a treasure of the planet and its survival depends on human conservation action.

Marakele National Park is a small yet Big 5 national park situated about 12km from Thabazimbi.