Ann van Dyk Cheetah Centre

About Ann van Dyk Cheetah Centre

The Ann van Dyk Cheetah Centre, established in 1971 by Ann van Dyk and her brother Godfrey, is a conservation and wildlife rehabilitation facility situated near Hartbeespoort in South Africa's North West Province. Originally founded as a cheetah breeding program to counter declining wild populations, the centre achieved a major biological milestone by proving that the rare King Cheetah is a genetic variant of the standard cheetah rather than a distinct species.

Over the decades, its scope expanded beyond cheetahs to include successful breeding and research initiatives for other endangered African carnivores and wildlife, most notably the African wild dog, alongside brown hyenas and servals. Today, the facility operates under a strict no-touch policy to maintain animal welfare and focuses its public operations on educational guided vehicle drives, walking tours, and an on-site museum that details the history of its preservation efforts.