Staff Reporter
FRESH off the heels of being recognised with two 2026 Best of Namibia Awards for ‘Outstanding Organization in Animal Welfare’ and ‘Leading the Way in Environmental Conservation’, the Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) has been designated the Global Centre of Excellence for Cheetah Conservation through a newly signed five-year Memorandum of Understanding with India’s International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA).
The agreement establishes CCF’s headquarters in Namibia as a global hub for training, technical cooperation, scientific research, and knowledge exchange to strengthen cheetah conservation across Africa, Asia, and other cheetah range countries.
Headquartered in New Delhi, India, the International Big Cat Alliance is a global coalition dedicated to the conservation of the world’s seven big cat species through international cooperation, scientific collaboration, and capacity building.
Under the Memorandum of Understanding, CCF will provide scientific leadership and technical expertise while developing international training programmes, field-based learning opportunities, technical manuals, digital learning platforms, and demonstration sites that support governments, wildlife professionals, veterinarians, researchers, and conservationists worldwide.
“This designation is a tremendous honour for CCF and for Namibia,” said Dr Laurie Marker, Founder and Executive Director of the Cheetah Conservation Fund.
“For over 36 years, CCF has worked to develop practical, science-based solutions to help cheetahs thrive. Being recognised as a Centre of Excellence acknowledges decades of research, innovation, and partnership, while creating an even greater opportunity to share our experience with other countries working to conserve and restore cheetah populations,” Marker said.
Since its founding in 1990, CCF has become the world’s leading organization dedicated solely to cheetah conservation. Its work spans scientific research, genetics, veterinary medicine, habitat restoration, livestock management, conservation education, human-wildlife coexistence, illegal wildlife trade mitigation, rescue and rehabilitation, and international capacity building.
Today, CCF’s conservation programmes extend well beyond Namibia, supporting initiatives across southern Africa, the Horn of Africa, and Asia. The organization has played a key role in restoring cheetahs to India, combating the illegal wildlife trade in Somaliland and Ethiopia, training conservation professionals, and advancing global research that informs cheetah conservation policy and management. Through the new Centre of Excellence, CCF and IBCA will collaborate to develop international training programmes for wildlife professionals and conservation practitioners and strengthen technical capacity across cheetah range countries, amongst many other objectives.
The agreement also provides opportunities for joint participation in major international biodiversity and climate forums, ensuring that cheetah conservation remains part of global discussions on sustainable development, biodiversity conservation, and climate resilience.
The designation builds on CCF’s long-standing role as an international training centre, which has welcomed thousands of students, researchers, veterinarians, wildlife managers, and conservation professionals from more than 80 countries. By formalising this role through the International Big Cat Alliance, the Centre of Excellence will further strengthen global collaboration and accelerate the sharing of proven conservation solutions.
“As conservation challenges become increasingly global, so too must our solutions. No single organization or country can save cheetahs alone. This partnership represents a shared commitment to building expertise, strengthening international cooperation, and ensuring that future generations inherit landscapes where cheetahs continue to thrive,” Dr Marker said.
The Memorandum of Understanding, signed on 23 June 2026, will remain in effect for an initial period of five years.
Founded in Namibia in 1990 by Dr Laurie Marker, the Cheetah Conservation Fund is the world’s leading organization dedicated to saving cheetahs in the wild. Through science, conservation, education, community engagement, and sustainable development, CCF works across Africa and internationally to secure a future where cheetahs and people thrive together. For more information, visit www.cheetah.org.
Picture for illustrative purposes only. Photo: Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF)
