Tenikwa boasts new arrival

MEDIA RELEASE                            6 MAY 2009

TENIKWA BOASTS WITH NEW ARRIVAL

Tenikwa Wildlife Awareness Centre has proudly announced the latest addition to their wild cat family with the arrival of a 3-month old leopard cub, called ZweLakhe.  The centre focuses on raising awareness of the indigenous cats in South Africa and hopes that the little cat will help to highlight their struggle for survival in the wild.

The owners of Tenikwa, Len and Mandy Freeman, have always wanted to include leopard species to their predominantly lesser cats, in order to raise awareness in the community with regard to leopards.  They recently became aware of the availability of a male leopard cub and took the opportunity to bring him to Tenikwa.

Tenikwa will use ZweLakhe (meaning “In his World”) as an ambassador for his species and showcase the work done by the Landmark Foundation, where much ground is being covered to understand leopard populations and encourage non-lethal methods of predator management. Property owners along the Garden Route have already actively started installing camera traps in an effort to determine local leopard populations and already a sighting has occurred. “It is not enough to assume that leopard populations are holding their own”, says Len Freeman. He further adds that ZweLakhe’s purpose at the centre is to encourage community participation and involvement in the preservation of the leopard and understanding the role that predators play in ensuring a healthy eco-system. “Members of the public can ensure protection of the predators by buying products, such as meat, which are branded as Wildlife-Friendly. Stores such as Woolworths support non-lethal predator management and ensure that their products are sourced from holistic farms.”

For further information, visit www.tenikwa.co.za or phone 044-5348170.

ENDS
Issued by                    PERIDOT COMMUNICATIONS
On behalf of                    BITOU TOURISM