Pretoria - Rietvlei Nature Reserve welcomed five cheetah cubs which are about six weeks old, the City of Tshwane said on Monday.
The cubs were first spotted by game rangers at the reserve this past weekend.
Tshwane mayor Randall Williams said the cubs were birthed by cheetah mother Njozi, which means “dreams” in Swahili.
“Njozi is a shy cat that does not show herself that much. She roams throughout Rietvlei Nature Reserve and is mostly spotted during the early mornings or late afternoons.
“Njozi is kept permanently at the reserve for breeding purposes,” Williams said.
Williams said cheetahs at the Rietvlei Nature Reserve don’t have competition from other large predators so the reserve is the perfect place to form part of the programme.
A new male cheetah, Thaba, was released into the reserve last year in September to a sub-adult Njozi for breeding purposes.
Last year May, Njozi was reported missing from the nature reserve after she wasn’t seen for a while.
It was suspected that she was chasing a waterbuck and managed to get out, as there were reports of a dead buck along the fence.
She was eventually spotted several days later roaming around the nature reserve.
The metro called on visitors at the nature reserve to respect Njozi’s space while she hunts for food.
“Until the cubs reach full maturity and fend for themselves, there will be much pressure on Njozi to take care of their needs.”
When the cheetah mother is spotted, visitors are advised to stay at least 30 metres away from her and her cubs.
“Switch off your car engine, remain silent and limit the noise from your vehicle. Do not leave the vehicle under any circumstances, nor hang out of the windows and break the vehicle’s silhouette. Do not attempt to stay in the reserve after gate closing times,” warned Williams.
IOL