mozambique
The Panyame Cheetah Project
Rewilding Hope in Mozambique
In 2022, a remarkable discovery reignited hope for cheetah conservation in Mozambique—a lone male cheetah was spotted roaming the vast, unfenced wilderness of the Panyame Conservancy, a 210,000-hectare protected landscape along the Zambezi River in central Mozambique. In an area where cheetahs were once thought to be locally extinct, this rare sighting became the spark for a bold and collaborative rewilding initiative.
Launched in partnership with The Metapopulation Initiative (TMI) and Blood Origins, the Panyame Cheetah Project was created to restore cheetahs to this iconic wilderness.
Using a soft-release approach, cheetahs are first housed in acclimatisation bomas to help them adjust to their new environment before being released into the wild. Once released, they are carefully monitored using GPS technology to ensure a smooth transition and long-term success.
To date, 16 of 18 cheetahs have been translocated from South Africa to Panyame in two successful operations.
- On 15 April 2025, 12 cheetahs made the journey.
- On 30 May 2025, an additional 4 cheetahs joined the population.
Several individuals have already been released and are thriving in their new home, with the final two cheetahs scheduled to arrive soon. Once complete, the project will have reintroduced 18 cheetahs into one of southern Africa’s largest unfenced conservation areas.
This project is not only a powerful step forward for cheetah conservation in Mozambique but also a testament to what’s possible when committed partners come together with a shared vision for wildlife restoration.
Join the Movement
Be part of a new era for Africa’s wildlife—where conservation meets connection.
Because the wild doesn’t need saving.
It needs space to thrive.