About The Ajubatus Foundation

In 2002, our patron John Dyer founded the Ajubatus Foundation with the hopes of preserving our wilderness heritage and iconic African wildlife species that are threatened by human activities (e.g. cheetah, lion and rhinoceros). In fact, our name “Ajubatus” stands for cheetah in Latin (Acinonyx jubatus or A. jubatus)!

Our inception was inspired by Martin Luther King’s quote which states, “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter”. In other words, the Foundation was birthed into a higher sense of purpose by being a pillar for conservation as seen in Kruger National Park, South Africa. Between the 2000s and early 2010s, the Ajubatus Foundation grew into a provider of specialist research for endangered species. Our original focus was on cheetahs in private game reserves surrounding Kruger National park, which were threatened by extinction due to habitat loss and predator competition. Thanks to the collaboration of countless organisations and initiatives, this species has been able to thrive in its natural habitat over the years. Soon after, the Foundation launched the critically needed “Lion Project” in the Kruger National Park, which focused on how bovine Tuberculosis impacted lion pride structures and the collected specimen data sets have allowed for 7 PhD studies to be undertaken. This is believed to be one of the largest lion population studies undertaken and samples taken are now held in a Skukuza-based BioBank for future research initiatives.

Leading into the year 2020, the Foundation developed a unique education experience for the next generation of students on the importance of good conservation practice. The decision was taken to launch an International Student Introduction to Conservation programme in partnership with Stellenbosch University. This programme facilitates both a 13-week academic programme on campus as well as a unique Practical Experiential course in the Kruger National Park. From an academic perspective, the lectures are designed to be interactive and cover concepts such as Principles of Conservation, Deep Ecology Principles, Business Communications, Skills Development, and Project Management Concepts. The accompanying “Bush” excursions involve professional hosting by the Ajubatus team, game drives with John Dyer, and viewings of the behind-the-scene research being done within Kruger National Park. This has proved to be life-changing for many of our student graduates, who have subsequently become active Ambassadors to the Ajubatus Foundation. 

Accordingly, the Ajubatus Foundation is a passionate research and educational organization at heart. We are always looking for new ways to soar even higher, to collaborate with other like-minded and highly ethical institutions, and to make a difference in the natural environment. This also includes provisions for internships with the Foundation. If you would like to know more about our projects or how you can get involved, please look at our Projects and Donate pages. We are looking forward to hearing from you and building a better world together!

Love,

The Ajubatus Team