The AfriCat Foundation was founded in 1991 and officially registered as a non-profit organisation in 1993. AfriCat ran the largest cheetah and leopard rescue-and-release programme in the world – in the last 18 years 1060 of these predators were rescued. Over 85% were released back into the wild. However, despite concerted efforts, few adopted these tried & tested solutions and AfriCat soon became the easy way out – 'problem' Cheetahs & Leopards were caught in cage traps and AfriCat was called to collect! AfriCat was soon faced with a dilemma – what to do with the Cheetahs & Leopards taken off these farms? All animals were examined - some were injured and needed care and minor wounds treated immediately. Those with serious injuries were taken to AfriCat Welfare (the Carnivore Care Centre), where a Veterinarian was consulted. Over time, the resultant number of 'captive' carnivores increased, with little or no options for release. Food and medical care costs rose to astronomical amounts and thanks to the AfriCat supporters, funding could be sourced for their continued upkeep. The problem, however, remained that with the calls from farmers, the numbers of carnivores at AfriCat's Carnivore Care Centre continued to grow. In essence, detracting from our mission statement, 'to keep wild carnivores wild'! (Information from Afri-cat website)