In April 2010, a fatal battle broke out between two apex predators. A male lion attacked a small cheetah family, killing the mother and four of her cubs. A game scout discovered the sole surviving cub – alone, hungry and just two days old. He took the dehydrated cheetah to Norman and Penny English, who would be his surrogate family over the next six months. Norman English was ex National Parks & Wildlife Management, and Penny English was a registered nurse. Named after the scout who rescued him, Sylvester’s survival through those first grueling months is a direct result of their skills, wildlife knowledge and care.

The physiology and diet of a cheetah are highly complex, and so the department of National Parks & Wildlife Management contacted the Victoria Falls Wildlife Trust for help, knowing that their veterinary capacity and resources would ensure that Sylvester could thrive. Unfortunately, by the time Sylvester came to the Trust he had imprinted on humans, making the chances for his successful rehabilitation into the wild questionable at best. His comfort around people would cause problems in rural communal areas that surround the national parks in Victoria Falls and it is highly probable that wildlife managers would have had to put him down. However, the vast open vlei that the Trust operates from were the ideal environment for Sylvester, and he was able to exercise naturally and build up the speed for which cheetah are renowned. He settled into his new life with vigour.

As Sylvester was a specially protected animal on the endangered species list, National Parks & Wildlife Management and the Trust decided to give him a career as an wildlife ambassador to champion a message of coexistence with rural and urban communities. Research shows that ambassador animals can provide compelling experiences needed for people to gain personal connections and relationships with nature. Sylvester symbolizes this fact: he was an impactful catalyst in the delivery of the Trust’s conservation messages, which profoundly affect learning and promote attitudinal changes in the region.

Tragically, nine years after Sylvester arrived at the Trust, a female leopard attacked him, and during the difficult days that followed, his kidneys began to shut down as a result of the stress. In January 2019, with a team of devoted carers by his side, Sylvester was euthanized.

The entire Victoria Falls Trust family, as well as visitors and supporters worldwide, mourned their charismatic friend and companion. He touched thousands of hearts and transformed negative opinions about cheetah into positive ones. He inspired us all to embrace and learn more about his amazing species. The cheetah that so narrowly escaped death as a cub will live on in the hearts and minds of every person who had the privilege of knowing him.

Victoria Falls Wildlife Trust continues to be a rescue and rehabilitation center for injured and abandoned wildlife. They maintain Sylvester’s noble work of helping to steward a culture of coexistence with carnivores and fostering a conservation ethos among rural communities through education and outreach.