Radio 1 Dj Scott Mills Sees Spots at Marwell Wildlife

8th April 2011

Southampton-born BBC Radio 1 DJ Scott Mills officially opened Marwell Wildlife’s latest development, Savannah Tracks, the new home for its three cheetahs today (Friday 8 April).

Scott was thrilled to help the keepers feed Marwell’s three cheetahs, Turkus, Juba and Suki, commenting: “I’m delighted to be here to open Savannah Tracks. I used to visit Marwell frequently when a child so was really pleased to be asked back.”

The cheetahs were out exploring their new terrain and showing off their spots to Scott. With various resting spots including large boulders and shady areas to relax, Savannah Tracks is double the size of their previous home and mimics the conditions found in the cheetah’s natural habitat of the open savannah in Africa. Visitors to the zoological park can now watch the cheetahs from a new wooden walkway, which meanders through Savannah Tracks, leading up to an undercover viewing platform.

Scott, a keen runner, was also put through his paces by children from Fair Oak Infant School on Marwell’s specially built cheetah running track. The track, along with lots of other fun children’s activities will be open during the upcoming Easter holidays.

Savannah Tracks was only possible due to Marwell’s generous supporters who donated to SPRINT, the conservation charity’s cheetah campaign. This funding also enables Marwell to continue its cheetah conservation work in Africa which includes: tracking wild cheetahs to better understand their movements and working with farmers and local communities in Zimbabwe, plus researching cheetah populations in Kenya and Niger.

Loss of natural habitat to persecution and illegal trapping are just a few of the many problems which threaten the continued survival of wild cheetahs. With less than 10,000 in the wild, the World Conservation Union (IUCN) lists the species as vulnerable.

For further media information please contact Helen Jeffreys, Marwell Wildlife Media Relations Officer. Email:  helenj@marwell.org.uk Phone: 01962 777947

Savannah Tracks

The name Savannah Tracks was decided following a public vote. The name was extremely popular and received a whopping 46% of all votes cast.

Marwell Wildlife’s cheetahs

44 cubs have been born at Marwell over the years. In 1999 eight cubs were born in one litter to one female. They were all successfully reared by their mother ‘Joolz’. This is a particularly large litter for any species of cat. Since 2000, two cubs have been successfully reared - they were named Juba & Suki.

Marwell currently has 3 cheetahs:

-A six year old male called Turkus
-Six year old sisters Juba and Suki (as mentioned above).

Marwell cheetah conservation

Marwell has been involved with cheetah conservation in Africa for several years, the SPRINT campaign is helping fund various conservation projects including:

-Continue work in Zimbabwe in both educating farmers and tracking wild cheetah populations

-Expand conservation work in Northern Kenya and examine its cheetah population in order to ascertain its size and range

-Start research in Niger in the Saharan region of Northern Africa. Little is known about this population.

Like the other members of the big cat family, cheetahs can be found living in southern and eastern Africa, and they have even spread as far as the Sahara and Iran. Despite their large range, wild cheetahs now face many threats. Loss of natural habitat to persecution and illegal trapping are just a few of the many problems which threaten their continued survival. With less than 10,000 in the wild, the World Conservation Union (IUCN) lists the species as vulnerable.

Cheetahs v humans

Cheetahs are the world’s fastest land animal and can reach speeds of up to 70 miles per hour.Usain Bolt set a new 100 meters world record by clocking 9.58 seconds in Berlin, Germany in 2009. Cheetahs can cover up to 9 metres in a stride at almost 4 strides per second. A cheetah can achieve a top speed of 30 meters per second – basically cheetahs can run at 3 times the speed of Usain Bolt, the fastest human in the world. Although this is for short sprints only.

Marwell Wildlife is a registered charity dedicated to the conservation of biodiversity and other natural resources. Registered Charity Number: 275433.

Marwell’s 140 acre zoological park in Hampshire provides a great way for families to enjoy the wonders of nature close-up, whilst involving them in Marwell’s efforts to conserve endangered species and habitats, both locally and internationally.

Home to over 250 exotic and endangered species, Marwell welcomes over 500,000 visitors each year to its zoological park and also engages with over 35,000 children and young people through its education programmes. By providing people with a rich and memorable experience, Marwell aims to encourage understanding and inspire people to care for the natural world, and help secure a better future for endangered wildlife for generations to come.

Marwell Wildlife is action oriented and at the forefront of conservation in the UK and Africa, working in partnership with communities, statutory agencies and other non-governmental organizations to deliver conservation programmes. Marwell’s field based staff lead a variety of conservation programmes, including reintroducing desert antelopes in the Sahara, undertaking habitat restoration in Hampshire and supporting community based conservation projects in Northern Kenya.

As a registered charity Marwell relies on the generous support and enthusiasm of fundraisers and visitors to finance the conservation work and help secure a better future for endangered wildlife for generations to come.

Marwell Wildlife is a member of the British and Irish Association of zoos and Aquariums (BIAZA).  BIAZA represents its member collections and promotes the values of good zoos and aquariums.