ENTEBBE, Uganda, March 19 (Xinhua) -- The Uganda Wildlife Education Centre (UWEC) has imported a female cheetah to boost the number of the big cats that are at the verge of extinction.
The cheetah, imported from Mystics and Feathers Wildlife Centre in South Africa, was received by UWEC officials over the weekend at Entebbe International Airport.
Isaac Mujjasi, UWEC public relations officer, told Xinhua on Monday that they received the female cheetah through a conservation exchange program where UWEC gave ten monkeys in preference for the big cat.
"It's hard to hunt for a cheetah from the wild hence we found it cheaper and easier to acquire one through this exchange program." he added.
Prior to the exchange program, UWEC had two cheetahs "Upe" and "Pian," rescued from in the northern district of Amudat. The two cheetahs are related and thus can not mate.
David Musingo, acting UWEC educational manager, said the acquisition of the cheetah was a major achievement in conservation and survival prospects of the threatened species.
Categorized as the most endangered species, cheetahs are among the key tourist attractions of Uganda and they are mostly found in the Kidepo Valley National Park.