Turkish dog breed safeguards Africa farms to save cheetahs for a decade
Kangal dogs, brought from Türkiye's central province of Sivas to South Africa, have been safeguarding livestock from predators for nearly 12 years, while simultaneously sparing cheetahs from becoming farmers' prey.
Once roaming vast lands stretching from Anatolia to Khorasan, cheetahs are now predominantly confined to the southern and eastern regions of Africa. As one of the fastest carnivores on the planet, cheetahs face a precarious future, teetering on the brink of extinction. This decline is largely attributed to farmers, who, in their efforts to shield their livestock, often hunt cheetahs. Every year, significant numbers of these creatures are killed.
However, the renowned Sivas Kangals — heralded among the world's most exceptional shepherd dogs — have become unlikely saviors for the cheetah population, offering a solution from the heart of Anatolia.
In 2012, the Cheetah Conservation Fund, located near Cape Town, initiated a groundbreaking project by importing Kangal dogs from Türkiye and distributing them free of charge to farmers. Through this initiative, both livestock and cheetahs have been safeguarded.
Tia, a German-born animal rights activist volunteering at the foundation, mentioned that there are now only around 6,500 cheetahs left in the wild, with 400 to 500 residing in South Africa.
The volunteer said that the foundation launched the Kangal program years ago to protect farms from predatory assaults by introducing these formidable dogs.
"We raise the dogs from about three months of age, placing them with the livestock on the farm. They stay there day and night, forming an inseparable bond with the animals, and we don't even need to train them. They naturally protect what they consider their family. Whenever...
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