The Great Cheetah Experience - August 2010 (Part 1)

Let's start with the most memorable. In August 2010, I spent two weeks at Cheetah Experience in Bloemfontein, South Africa, a non-profit organization dedicated to saving cheetahs from becoming extinct in the wild. I wasn't sure what to expect, and rightly so. At Cheetah Experience, you never know what's going to happen each day. 

Cheetah Experience is a place like no other. After a 7-hour solo bus journey that took me to the heart of South Africa, I arrived at Cheetah Experience. The first thing you notice is the overwhelming love and respect the owner and staff have for the big cats. The second thing you notice is there aren't just cheetahs. There are lions, tigers, caracals (a wild cat), leopards, a serval, wolves (!), and dogs as well. 

Cheetahs 

Thato, 8-month old female cheetah 

The cheetahs are the organization's reasons for being. These sleek, magnificent cats inspire respect immediately. The owner of Cheetah Experience Riana van Nieuwenhuisen started with one cheetah, Fiela, who was her roommate and bed-hogging companion in a townhouse. Her desire to help the dwindling cheetah population led her to establish Cheetah Experience. The organization's mission is to "promote and fund the conservation of the Cheetah and other endangered species through captive breeding, behavioral research and public awareness". 

Cheetah Experience has had a lot of media coverage, most of all because of Fiela's hilarious habits. During my stay, Fiela demonstrated more than once that her paws were able to open the kitchen door and get in to any leftover food. The cheetahs were prone to the funniest antics and provided endless hours of laughter around the dinner table when we shared our stories each day.

Bibi and Me

It was Bibi, a two-year old female cheetah, who won my heart. She was a gentle sweet cheetah, and was always our "model" cheetah when tour groups came through. One day, towards the end of my stay at Cheetah Experience, I spent some time "chatting" with Bibi -- a daily routine for the animals to get comfortable with you. As I squatted on the ground, Bibi came up to me and lay her head on my shoulder, almost like a cheetah hug! That moment was indescribable -- and for once, I had a camera at the right moment. 

Another cheetah, James taught me one good lesson. There are few things that will raise your heart rate more than a cheetah racing towards you at top speed (they can go up to 70 mph/114 kmh). Luckily for me, James was only five months old, and his primary target was not my jugular, but nipping at my ankles. James was the most lovable brat of a cheetah, and we had many ridiculously funny moments where we had to go about our daily chores dragging James about our ankles.

More cheetah pictures below: 

James, 5-month old male cheetah

James on the look-out

One of the wild cheetahs 

Arthur, a full grown male cheetah

How do you tell leopards and cheetahs apart? Both are spotted cats, but their faces and build are distinct. The cheetah has trademark "tear-drop" black markings on either side of their noses. These are as distinct as fingerprints. Also, the cheetah's face is smaller and rounder than that of a leopard. 

The leopard is significantly bigger than the cheetah, which is slender and aerodynamic. The spots of the cheetah are "true polka dots", but the leopard's is a circle with a colored spot in the center. 

Mischief, 4-month old female leopard

Bibi, 2-year old female cheetah