CHEETHAS RELEASED ON AIR FORCE BASE TO KEEP RUNWAY SAFE FOR CHEETAH JET FIGHTERS CHEETAHS OUT OF CAMP; ON RUNWAY & VELD; TRACKING DEVICE INTERVIEWS

Record ID: 893627

  • Title: CHEETHAS RELEASED ON AIR FORCE BASE TO KEEP RUNWAY SAFE FOR CHEETAH JET FIGHTERS CHEETAHS OUT OF CAMP; ON RUNWAY & VELD; TRACKING DEVICE INTERVIEWS
  • Date: 14th October 1996
  • Summary: CHEETHAS RELEASED ON AIR FORCE BASE TO KEEP RUNWAY SAFE FOR CHEETAH JET FIGHTERS CHEETAHS OUT OF CAMP; ON RUNWAY & VELD; TRACKING DEVICE INTERVIEWS
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  • City: LOUIS TRICHARDT
  • Country: South Africa
  • Reuters ID: 96OCT14R02
  • Story Text:CHEETAHS RELEASED ON AIR FORCE BASE AT LOUIS TRICHARDT TO KEEP THE RUNWAY SAFE FOR CHEETAH JET FIGHTERS

    06.25.03 CHEETAH INSIDE CAMP AREA
    06.26.58 CHEETAH WITH TRACKING THING AROUND ITS NECK
    06.28.31 LOOKING STRAIGHT INTO LENS
    06.30.46 LOOKING THROUGH GRASS
    06.32.14 OPENING GATE TO CAMP
    06.32.49 CHEETAH WALKING OUT GATE
    06.35.56 SNIFFING AIR - RUNWAY IN DISTANCE
    06.40.14 WALKING ACROSS RUNWAY
    06.44.32 CHECKING OUT BUSH - RABBIT SPRINTING PASS WITH CHEETAH FOLLOWING
    06.49.21 LT. WITH TRACKING DEVICE
    06.58.15 SILHOEETE OF SOLDIERS WITH TRACKING DEVICE
    07.15.05 HIGH CONCRETE SECURITY WALL
    07.36.45 INTERVIEW: SERGEANT ANDER KOK: So far we haven't got any problems with the project. Everything went according to plan that's why could release the animals this morning. So everything went very well up to now.
    07.37.17 ...they're just a bit hungry this morning...
    07.37.26 ..the next step is actually the biggest step for us. We must actually make sure that these animals can hunt for themselves and that's where the monitoring of these animals play a big role. As soon as we can establish a programme that they follow with hunts and everything, that's actually the biggest step for us that this animals must go forward.
    07.37.59 ...this area is surounded by a wall so nothing can go in nothing can go out; the game in this area is actually limited according to the area itself so the more cheetahs you put in the more they will catch out all the game. Eventually they will die from starvation - so its no use putting in more cheetahs.
    07.38.31 There was a prg. where we talked to everybody about the cheetah project. Everybody know very well about the odds and ends about the cheetahs and I don't think there will be any problems.

    07.39.54 INTERVIEW: LT. MARTIN VAN JAARSVELD: The conservation is run according to a planned programme where we look at specific factors like ecological management, base environmental management & things like that. There's also a very big prg on education.
    07.40.27 The cheetahs fit into the ecological prg. where we try to manage the game according to specific ...
    07.41.32 The cheetahs fit into the ecological prg.. We introduced them for flight safety reasons. The purpose of these animals is to catch the small game next to the airfield & what we're trying to do is to manage the area ecologically so that we don't have to shoot for ecological reasons any animals or for flight safety reasons.

    07.45.32 INTERVIEW: SERGEANT GEORGINA: I feel quite comfortable; I've been in quite close contact with the cheetahs all the time. I don't see any problem with it.
    07.45.56 LAUGHING No I'm not scared of anything...

    07.46.35 SIGN BOARD - FIGHTERTOWN RSA WELCOME TO 2 SQUADRON THE HOME OF THE FLYING CHEETAHS
    08.46.28 JET FIGHTER PILOTS BADGES

    09.07.50 INTERVIEW: MAJOR LE ROUX GREEFF [PILOT]: Danger being relative I mean it could be catatrophic. You can start bat the bottom you can say you just break off a wheel or you could just dent the aircraft or go from there to possible ejection if you loose one o0f the landing gear or one of the wheel. Damage the aircraft you could lose control you could eject possibly too late so yes it could be catastrphic or very small for that matter.
    09.10.19 Very proud. 2 Squadron being the Flying Cheetahs although that's not why they're here it's conservation wise but yes on the base it makes me feel very proud at least to have a namesake to the aircraft walking around on the base as well yes.
    09.10.45 As far as I here the strory from the narure conservation people, one of the cheetahs that were given to us by ??? had a name already and the other young one I believe didn't have a name and for some or other maybe not an unknown reason, the people decided to call it by my name. I would hope that it';s because I organise that we got the cheetahs.

    09.29.06 INTERVIEW: CORPORAL GODFREY ???: I think its magnificent to have these 2 cheetahs here because they are help us with the ecosystem around here in our base and its one of the things we need.
    09.29.44 No I was once there I've seen they are not bad animals at all so I don't think they will attack someone.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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