From Research to Rewilding
Aim
To support professional, non-invasive cheetah research and create a pathway for the ethical reintroduction of select offspring into secure, managed wild environments.
Summary
Not all conservation begins in the wild — but it can lead back to it.
Through the work of veterinarian Sara Gonçalves MSc DVM, a pioneering research project is underway to better understand cheetah reproduction using non-invasive techniques such as positive reinforcement training, hormone tracking, and behavioural observation. This work represents a major step forward in how we approach conservation science — with precision, patience, and empathy.
Naturally Neighbours Initiative is proud to support this research — not by claiming it, but by enabling it. We offer the space, care, and collaboration needed for meaningful studies to take place.
And thanks to this work, a new future is taking shape: Ukutula Lodge has committed individuals born from this research line to NNI — not for display, but for release into carefully managed, secure wild spaces, where they can live as they were meant to: instinctively, freely, and safely.
We don’t oppose captivity — we believe in giving animals options beyond it, when it’s possible, ethical, and in the animals’ best interest.
→ If you believe that science and nature can work hand in hand to build a better future — you’re in the right place.
Make it matter, every cent fuels real change
Land. Research. Wildlife. That’s it.
Make a Donation to our Cause.
Land. Research. Wildlife. That’s it.
Please note that all donations will be processed in ZAR. (South African Rand)