Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency Supports
Cheetah Conservation Fund with Vehicle Donation
OTJIWARONGO, NAMIBIA (20 Nov. 2015) – A delegation representing the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) visited Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) on Thursday, 19 November, 2015, to present the organisation with keys and title to a new 4x4 truck. The vehicle was donated to CCF for use with its Livestock Guarding Dog Programme, which is founded upon two rare breeds of Turkish dogs.
“Our agency provides assistance wherever in the world it is needed, but we are especially pleased to support efforts that feature aspects of Turkish culture. By sharing our history and experiences with other countries around the world, we hope to encourage peace, prosperity, and make the world a much smaller place”, said Mr. Cüneyt Esmer, TIKA Namibia Country Director.
Since 1994, CCF has provided Kangal dogs and Anatolian shepherds to farmers as a non-lethal tool for controlling predation. The dogs are specially trained to guard small stock on farmlands, serving as a buffer between herds and predators like the cheetah. The two breeds were chosen because of their history of success guarding livestock in Turkey, a country with a terrain and climate similar to Namibia, and for their large size, loud bark and protective nature.
The visiting delegation included H.E. Mrs. Deniz Cakar, Ambassador of the Republic of Turkey; Mrs. Keman Ozdemir, Head of TIKA Africa and Middle East Countries; Mr. Cüneyt Esmer, TIKA Namibia Country Director; and members of the Turkish media. In addition to lunch with CCF staff, they were treated to a demonstration of the Livestock Guarding Dog Programme and a tour of CCF’s Field Research and Education Centre and Cheetah Sanctuary.
“We are very excited to be recognised by TIKA and grateful to receive this new truck”, said Dr. Laurie Marker, Founder and Executive Director of CCF. “Between delivering puppies to farmers, conducting health check-ups and administering veterinary care, our staff is on the road daily. This will help us better keep up with the demand for our dogs and their ongoing care”.
A highly successful strategy that reduces losses for those farmers with dogs by 80 to 100 percent, CCF will place more than 50 Livestock Guarding Dog puppies with farmers in 2015 alone, bringing the number of working dogs in Namibia to over 250, with more than 600 puppies being born since the program started in 1994. The dogs are also credited with saving hundreds of cheetah lives during the past two decades.
TIKA was established in 1992 to serve as an implementing intermediary of Turkish foreign policy. The agency supports projects on five continents in 120 countries. TIKA maintains 50 Programme Coordination Offices in 48 partner counties, including one in Windhoek.
Additional photos are available by request. For more information about CCF and its Livestock Guarding Dogs, please visit www.cheetah.org.
“Our agency provides assistance wherever in the world it is needed, but we are especially pleased to support efforts that feature aspects of Turkish culture. By sharing our history and experiences with other countries around the world, we hope to encourage peace, prosperity, and make the world a much smaller place”, said Mr. Cüneyt Esmer, TIKA Namibia Country Director.
Since 1994, CCF has provided Kangal dogs and Anatolian shepherds to farmers as a non-lethal tool for controlling predation. The dogs are specially trained to guard small stock on farmlands, serving as a buffer between herds and predators like the cheetah. The two breeds were chosen because of their history of success guarding livestock in Turkey, a country with a terrain and climate similar to Namibia, and for their large size, loud bark and protective nature.
The visiting delegation included H.E. Mrs. Deniz Cakar, Ambassador of the Republic of Turkey; Mrs. Keman Ozdemir, Head of TIKA Africa and Middle East Countries; Mr. Cüneyt Esmer, TIKA Namibia Country Director; and members of the Turkish media. In addition to lunch with CCF staff, they were treated to a demonstration of the Livestock Guarding Dog Programme and a tour of CCF’s Field Research and Education Centre and Cheetah Sanctuary.
“We are very excited to be recognised by TIKA and grateful to receive this new truck”, said Dr. Laurie Marker, Founder and Executive Director of CCF. “Between delivering puppies to farmers, conducting health check-ups and administering veterinary care, our staff is on the road daily. This will help us better keep up with the demand for our dogs and their ongoing care”.
A highly successful strategy that reduces losses for those farmers with dogs by 80 to 100 percent, CCF will place more than 50 Livestock Guarding Dog puppies with farmers in 2015 alone, bringing the number of working dogs in Namibia to over 250, with more than 600 puppies being born since the program started in 1994. The dogs are also credited with saving hundreds of cheetah lives during the past two decades.
TIKA was established in 1992 to serve as an implementing intermediary of Turkish foreign policy. The agency supports projects on five continents in 120 countries. TIKA maintains 50 Programme Coordination Offices in 48 partner counties, including one in Windhoek.
Additional photos are available by request. For more information about CCF and its Livestock Guarding Dogs, please visit www.cheetah.org.