Mapungubwe National Park, situated just 70km west of Musina in Limpopo, welcomed three new cheetah cubs recently. This success story is not only for Mapungubwe but the country at large since cheetah is classified as one of the threatened mammals.
Park Manager, Conrad Strauss, said the park is home to a sizable cheetah population but their numbers decreased by uncontrolled illegal hunting for their skin, even though they are seldom seen because of the thick mopani bush veld in some areas of the park.
"Since late last year the animals have been spotted several times by rangers and tourists to the park which makes it a great value-add to the tourist experience in the park”, he said.
Dubbed “mom and the trio”, the four cheetahs can be spotted on the western side of the park. If found in an open space tourist, tourists can enjoy the sighting for a lengthy period. Cubs depend on their mom for survival so the “mom and the trio” are expected to be seen together.