Dr. Robbie Kröger assists the Panyame conservation team as poacher-set fires jeopardize cheetah habitat and monitoring efforts.

TETE, Mozambique, Aug. 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Wildfires started by poachers moved through the bush in the Panyame conservancy of Mozambique, burning perilously close to one of the most important elements of the Panyame Cheetah Project – a den of one of the cheetahs (Evey) and her 25-day-old cubs. These fires prompted an urgent response from teams working on the ground.

According to field teams, fires are typical for this time of year. However, these fires are being deliberately set by poachers to clear areas where snares can be placed, threatening wildlife across the landscape.

Dr. Robbie Kröger, founder and executive director of The Origins Foundation, is in Mozambique assisting The Panyame Conservancy with their joint cheetah relocation project, including monitoring and re-collaring cheetahs. Field teams have described the current fire activity as unprecedented.

The team battled for 30 hours, throughout the day and night, to stop the fires reaching the den. As of Aug. 17, all fires were put out, and no cheetahs were found injured or killed by the fires.

GPS collars allow conservation teams to track individual cheetahs and provide critical information about their survival, movement and use of the landscape. Monitoring becomes particularly important during major disturbances, when animals may move out of familiar territory and normal field operations become significantly more difficult.

“This is what conservation looks like,” Kröger said. “Situations can change very quickly. Right now, the priority is understanding where these animals are, making sure we can continue to monitor them, and supporting the people working in the field as these fires move across the landscape.”

The Origins Foundation works to support field-based conservation efforts around the world. In Mozambique, they have been involved in the Panyame Cheetah Project to restore, protect and monitor cheetahs.

The fires underscore the importance of long-term wildlife monitoring and active conservation management.

The Origins Foundation, recently featured in National Geographic for its work in cheetah conservation, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing the truth about hunting and sustainable use conservation through science, storytelling, education and strategic partnerships. The foundation supports initiatives designed to deliver measurable ecological outcomes for wildlife, communities and the landscapes they share.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/wildfires-in-mozambique-threaten-protected-cheetah-cubs-as-origins-foundation-supports-field-response-302856603.html

SOURCE The Origins Foundation