A Cheetah Hero

Joris Hutchison, 11, has always loved cheetahs. He was upset to learn that the big cats might go extinct in his lifetime.

Joris asked his mom what he could do to help. They got in touch with a wildlife sanctuary in Namibia. That is in Africa.

Joris began raising money. He sold T-shirts, flowers, and lemonade. He held garage sales and skating parties. “I’m just a normal kid who decided to do something about a problem,” Joris told TFK Kid Reporter Christopher Nguyen.

So far, he has raised more than $14,000. The money is used to buy special collars. The collars track the cheetahs. This helps protect them from being killed. Joris has also visited the sanctuary in Namibia. He has spent three summers volunteering there. “We need to raise awareness and tell people what’s happening,” Joris says. “It needs to be stopped.”