I think that if we look for bogeymen behind every tree then conservation will never go far.

The money is raised for a bigger enclosure, it was instructed by KWS for her to go to Nairobi orphanage who has more experience with orphaned cheetahs.. so we still supported her and as they said she would need a bigger enclosure there. She was going to be relocated to the wild when she was in Jackson and the rangers care, but Laurie at CCF said by the time proper measures can be taken, it will be too late for her to be released back into the wild. Maybe a reserve might be possible but they don't know.
Jackson fought for her to stay in the Mara, where they could take all the necessary action required so she could have the best chance possible if she was released but that was taken away from him when the KWS stepped in.

[URL=http://www.eastandard.net/InsidePage.php?id=1144010155&cid=259&]The Standard July 25th[/URL]

Updated article at http://www.bushdrums.com/news/index.php?shownews=2272

Kipper -

In 2001, I volunteered at Dr. Laurie Marker's Cheetah Conservation Fund ranch in Namibia for an intensive hands-on 5-week education on all aspects of cheetah behavior, biology, veterinary care, captive care-giving. Laurie is a remarkable woman who is the top cheetah expert on planet earth. Of course it takes decades of learning as Laurie has amassed to know all these aspects expertly.

She taught me that orphaned cheetah cubs can NEVER be returned into the wild due to the fact that their mother teaches them over the course of 2 1/2 to 3 years all the necessary hunting techniques required to secure prey safely and properly. The mother also over the course of these years teaches them which prey is appropriate and which is dangerous. She also teaches them which animals to stay away from and when to fight for your kill and when to relinquish the the kill to more powerful predators like lion, jaguar and hyenas.

Cheetah cubs held in captivity and never learning these necessary survival techniques have NO CHANCE OF BEING RETURNED TO THE WILD....EVER. They may be able to live out their lives in a sanctuary setting but will always be in a cage (obviously, the bigger the better) and will always be reliant on humans for when and what they feed on. One of my jobs at CCF was to feed the young cubs orphaned when its mother was killed by a farmer. I had to cut up whole donkeys into bowls of meat and add vitamin supplements to give them the same high quality of nutrition they would be getting in the wild.

I'm sure your friend loves the cheetah but is she doing what is in the cat's best welfare. As they say - the way to hell is paved with good intentions!
If Laurie Marker says such-and-such should be done for the cheetah, that's what should be done.
Perhaps your friend could learn about cheetahs under the same volunteer program that Laurie offered me. I thought I knew a lot about cheetahs went I first went there. I found out that I knew next to nothing!
I am tremendously grateful to Laurie Marker for making me a better advocate for wildlife conservation.

I think we miss the point here.
I agree the kit should have been left to it's natural outcome, it is the way.
No matter how hard to do we should not interfere.
But we have (we=humans)
Because we have interfered is it wrong to try to make our interference less painful on this creatures life?
It has already been stated that this kit will never lead a normal life but does it have to lead a pathetic life because of that?

I'm not a man of words, I'm not even intelligent but is it not our duty to do our best for this kit rather than to leave it to a piiful life in a small cage.

Euthinasia ?

OK lets go for it, put an end to it's sad life.
Probably the correct thing to do.
BUT
It wont happen!
So is it so wrong to try to give it a better life than a dirty 6x6 cage!

After all what is one miserable life of a kit worth?

I'll throw some money in hoping I can help make just one pathetic captive animals life easier.

Corruption?
What about the the NGO's swanning around Africa in their Daktari 4x4s at the tax payers expense.
(I do not class all NGO's this way but I have met so many full of their own self importance & only there for the glamour!)

http://jacksonlooseyia.blogspot.com/search?q=Miujisa