This wildlife park in Africa is hiring a 'cheetah monitor'. Candidate must be fluent in English, data savvy

The conservancy, widely recognised for its cheetah reintroduction programme, published the now-viral opening on Instagram.

A job posting by Panyame Wildlife Conservancy in Mozambique has sparked global interest — and an unexpected wave of humour — after the organisation advertised a vacancy for a full-time cheetah monitor on social media.

The conservancy, widely recognised for its cheetah reintroduction programme, published the now-viral opening on Instagram, inviting applications for a role that involves tracking, monitoring, and caring for cheetahs within the conservancy’s vast terrain. The post, however, took on a life of its own online, with thousands of users misinterpreting the position in comical ways.

“We’re Hiring – Full-Time Cheetah Monitor,” the post began. “Join the Panyame Cheetah Project in the heart of wild Mozambique. We’re looking for a committed, hands-on field assistant to live full-time at our remote bush camp and help monitor, track, and care for the cheetahs we’ve translocated to the Panyame Conservancy,” it added.

The responsibilities included feeding cheetahs in enclosures known as bomas, tracking their movements across 210,000 hectares using telemetry tools and EarthRanger, and collaborating with anti-poaching units.

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A post shared by Panyame Conservancy (@_panyame_)

Despite the seriousness of the conservation effort, the post triggered a wave of witty responses. Many were quick to pick up on the phrasing and requirements in the listing, taking to the comments section to jest about the job's seemingly improbable demands.

One commenter quipped, “Do the cheetahs speak English and use Excel, or do I have to train them?” Another chimed in with, “Do they respond to pspspsps?” — mimicking the sound often used to call cats.

Concerns about the role’s safety also led to tongue-in-cheek speculation about the previous employee’s fate. “What happened to the last employees?” one user asked, followed by another who joked, “Did the last one get eaten?”

The job description had called for candidates fluent in English, physically fit, and “bush-ready” — prepared to work in wild, remote conditions. Experience with data management, particularly Excel, was a must. Proficiency in Portuguese or Shona was considered an advantage.

The emphasis on fitness also drew its share of laughter. One user wrote, “Physically fit? Do I need to run with them?” while another questioned the practicality of the role in the age of remote work, asking, “Can I take my cheetah home if I’m working from home?”

Within days, the Instagram post had garnered thousands of comments from amused viewers across the globe.