The CCT is situated on a 3440ha game farm which is 60km north west of the town of Cradock and 100km north east of Graaff Reinet. There are 21 different species of game on the property which has no internal fencing.
We keep the 4 smaller cat species: African Wild Cat (Felis libyca), Small Spotted Cat or Blackfooted Cat (Felis nigripes), Caracal (Caracal caracal) and Serval (Leptailurus serval). The project has been going for many years and was formalised in 2004 with the establishment of the CCT and received PBO status from SARS.
The cats are generally not tame except for some of the rescue cats and are kept in enclosures. There is, however, no direct interaction between the cats and the public. Cats are kept in captivity and can breed at times. The offspring are mother raised and mostly released into the wild. Cat tours are conducted at feeding times only (early morning and late afternoon). These times vary depending on season. Booking is essential.
Accommodation is offered in a variety of units that are mostly self-catering except for the rondavels. Meals can be arranged in advance. All accommodation income is a direct donation to the CCT. Game drives on request and prices vary depending on the type of tours. Further information can be found on www.karoocats.org
As a passionate conservationist with more than 30 years game farming experience, Richard Holmes imparts a wealth of knowledge to guests. Marion, currently busy with her PhD, has been instrumental in the start of the cat project at Clifton since 1999. Specialising in a variety of fields, she is responsible for the cat tours as well as the educational outreach programmes at schools.
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