KEY POINTS:
A "shepherd dog" called Kiwi is helping save Africa's most endangered big cat, the cheetah.
Kiwi is an anatolian guard dog specially trained to roam with stock to scare off predators like cheetahs, which means African farmers are less likely to shoot or trap them.
The Auckland Zoo Conservation Fund has helped support Cape Town-based Cheetah Outreach which runs the anatolian livestock project and in acknowledgement named one of the guard dogs Kiwi.
The Kiwi connection to cheetah conservation in Africa came to light yesterday with the visit to the zoo of Annie Beckhelling, the founder of Cheetah Outreach.
Ms Beckhelling is in New Zealand for about a week to highlight the plight of the cheetah, the world's fastest land mammal which in South Africa now numbers only about 850.
It was a particularly meaningful visit as she saw the zoo's male cheetahs, Anubis and Osiris, that she personally helped rear back in Cheetah Outreach's property nearly three years ago.
Ms Beckhelling was impressed with their condition.
She could also pass on a favourable report card on Kiwi, who had for over two years protected a flock of sheep on a large farm at Limpopo in the northern province of South Africa.
"Kiwi is a key performer. The farmer has lost no stock."
The Turkish guard dogs had been selected for the task as they had light hair which reflected the heat and black noses which reduced the risk of skin cancer.
They also had thick coats which helped keep them warm in cool nights.
Ms Beckhelling said the biggest threat to cheetahs, both in South Africa and Namibia, where the largest population of up to 3000 resided, was loss of habitat to commercial farming, and subsequent conflict with farmers.
"Most livestock farmers trap, poison or shoot cheetahs in an attempt to protect their stock."
