Rudolf Gaiseb
Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) founder Laurie Marker was recently awarded the Lifetime Achievement in Research Award by the National Commission on Research, Science and Technology (NCRST).
The honour was presented at the recent National Research Excellence Awards ceremony.
The award was accepted on Marker’s behalf by Matti Nghkimbua, CCF’s chief ecologist and forest steward.
In a press release last week, CCF spokesperson Elissa Buchter stated that Marker was recognised not only for her conservation work but also for her broader contributions to building Namibia’s scientific infrastructure and advancing research across multiple disciplines.
“Over the past 35 years, Marker has established one of the country’s most significant research institutions. What began as a single research effort has grown into the Cheetah Research and Education Centre in Otjiwarongo, a multidisciplinary hub encompassing a genetics laboratory, ecological monitoring programmes, veterinary research, biomass energy initiatives, and rangeland restoration.
The centre has trained generations of Namibian students and researchers and contributed extensively to peer-reviewed scientific literature,” Buchter said.
The awards, recognising outstanding contributions to Namibia’s research, science, technology, and innovation ecosystem, bring together leaders from government, academia, and industry.
Marker’s work in Namibia began in 1977, when she conducted pioneering research into rewilding and brought a captive-born cheetah from the United States to Namibia and taught her to hunt.
In 1990, Marker founded the Cheetah Conservation Fund and moved to Namibia, now known as the Cheetah Capital of the World due to CCF’s global awareness. Today, CCF is based on a private wildlife reserve and model farm, and the organisation is recognised globally as a model for integrated conservation, research, and education.
Marker spearheaded the reintroduction of cheetahs from Namibia to India in 2023 after the species had been extinct for the past 70 years.
Buchter noted that the return of the awards programme after a lengthy hiatus underscored the significance of the recognition.
“This award belongs to every person who has worked at CCF, trained at CCF, or partnered with CCF over the past three decades,” said Marker, as quoted in the press release.
Additionally, headquartered in Namibia, CCF works across science, education, and community engagement to develop long-term, sustainable solutions for cheetah conservation.