Kruger's cheetahs get a year-long count

SANParks and the Endangered Wildlife Trust have begun a 12-month photographic census of cheetahs across Greater Kruger, running from September 1, 2026 through August 31, 2027. The project invites lodge guests and guides to submit sighting photos, which researchers use to identify individual cats via coat-pattern matching and build a current population estimate — the last formal count put the Greater Kruger cheetah population at roughly 116 animals.

For advisors, this is a ready-made engagement hook for clients booking Kruger, Sabi Sand, or other Greater Limpopo Transfrontier Conservation Area properties: guests can be told their sighting photos may contribute directly to the count. It's also a useful expectation-setter — with numbers this low, cheetah sightings should be pitched as a bonus, not a guarantee, distinguishing camp marketing from over-promising on the Big Five-adjacent species.

• Census period: September 1, 2026 – August 31, 2027
• Prior estimate: ~116 cheetahs in Greater Kruger
• Guests can submit sighting photos through their lodge or guide