By Liz Georges | Communications Coordinator
The Next Generation of Protectors....
When one of our Livestock Guarding Dogs gives birth to a litter of puppies, it’s always a cause for celebration. Over the years we’ve placed over 400 Anatolian shepherd and Kangal dogs with Namibian farmers, and as they watch over their herds, they provide better livelihoods for these farmers, resulting in a significant reduction in the trapping and killing of cheetahs.
Every new puppy is another protector, another friend to the cheetah.
Our most recent litter, however, is special for another reason.
Cappuccino is an Anatolian shepherd. Around here we call her “Cheena.” In 2010, her mother, CCF’s Anatolian Uschi, was bred to an Anatolian male from the United States named Zor. Zor and Uschi never actually met, however. The breeding was accomplished via artificial insemination, and Cappuccino was one of the three puppies born from the breeding two and a half years ago.
Because Cappuccino’s bloodlines are so important, CCF wanted to make sure that she had a very special home. The U.S. Ambassador to Namibia, who had just lost a dog of her own prior to her arrival in Namibia, offered her home in Windhoek to Cappuccino. Cappuccino now lives with the Ambassador and her husband, serving as an ambassador in her own right for CCF’s Livestock Guarding Dogs.
Cappuccino gave birth to a litter of puppies -- four males and four females -- on 16 February 2013. She is the first dog ever in Namibia that as the product of an artificial insemination has successfully given birth to a litter of puppies.
Both mom and puppies are doing well. At a week old their eyes and ears are not yet open, and they depend on Cheena for her warmth and nutritious milk. They stay close to her throughout the day and soon they will be moved to CCF’s Conservation Education and Research Centre to begin their journey as Livestock Guarding Dogs.
While we are excited by the possibilities that this milestone represents from a breeding perspective, we are even more thrilled to welcome eight new little protectors to the ranks of our Livestock Guarding Dog Programme.
For cheetahs everywhere,
Dr. Laurie Marker
Founder and Executive Director
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