Solo - April 2007

Greetings from Namibia! Quite a lot has happened since your last update:

In mid-February, Solo, along with the rest of our resident cats, underwent her annual physical exam. As part of an ongoing study of gastritis (inflammation of the stomach lining) in captive cheetahs, several gastric biopsies were taken using an endoscope. This year for the first time, staff and volunteers were able to see inside of the esophagus and stomach via the endoscopic camera using a monitor. She was also given her annual vaccines against rabies and other feline diseases and Frontline was applied to help control flies and ticks. Solo now weighs 40.5 kilograms (89.1 pounds), up 2.5 kilograms from last year.

Solo is usually in a coalition with Nina, with Misty sometimes joining them; they are usually waiting by the gate for us when we come to feed them. Recently, they seemed to go their separate ways, as only Solo is at the gate waiting for us. Nina is at the opposite corner of the enclosure, as far from Solo as possible in the 64 hectare camp, with Misty as her occasional companion. Solo, however, is always found near the gate, which is indicative of her dominance over Nina. Misty will join Solo at the gate, but Nina isn’t a constant presence like Solo.

Thank you again for sponsoring Solo and we hope that we can count on your continued support in the future.