Turkish dog breed safeguards Africa farms to save cheetahs for a decade

CAPE TOWN

Kangal dogs, brought from Türkiye’s central province of Sivas to South Africa, have been safeguarding livestock from predators for nearly 12 years, while simultaneously sparing cheetahs from becoming farmers' prey.

Once roaming vast lands stretching from Anatolia to Khorasan, cheetahs are now predominantly confined to the southern and eastern regions of Africa. As one of the fastest carnivores on the planet, cheetahs face a precarious future, teetering on the brink of extinction. This decline is largely attributed to farmers, who, in their efforts to shield their livestock, often hunt cheetahs. Every year, significant numbers of these creatures are killed.

However, the renowned Sivas Kangals — heralded among the world’s most exceptional shepherd dogs — have become unlikely saviors for the cheetah population, offering a solution from the heart of Anatolia.

In 2012, the Cheetah Conservation Fund, located near Cape Town, initiated a groundbreaking project by importing Kangal dogs from Türkiye and distributing them free of charge to farmers. Through this initiative, both livestock and cheetahs have been safeguarded.

Tia, a German-born animal rights activist volunteering at the foundation, mentioned that there are now only around 6,500 cheetahs left in the wild, with 400 to 500 residing in South Africa.

The volunteer said that the foundation launched the Kangal program years ago to protect farms from predatory assaults by introducing these formidable dogs.

“We raise the dogs from about three months of age, placing them with the livestock on the farm. They stay there day and night, forming an inseparable bond with the animals, and we don’t even need to train them. They naturally protect what they consider their family. Whenever they sense danger, they bark and that alone is enough to repel predators,” Tia explained.

The dogs are provided to farmers free of charge, with the first year’s veterinary expenses covered. In return, farmers sign an agreement, committing to no longer shoot or trap cheetahs. Tia emphasized that the Kangal dogs are not only safeguarding livestock but are also curbing the rampant killing of cheetahs by reducing the financial burden on farmers.

Pointing to the program’s success, Tia noted that a significant number of Kangal dogs have already been distributed to farms across the country.

“Farmers used to lose between 30 and 40 percent of their livestock annually. Since the inception of this Kangal program, their losses have been reduced to almost nothing, and they are immensely satisfied,” she added.