The Great Cheetah Experience (Part 3)

There were so many other animals at Cheetah Experience, and I think you need to meet as many of them as I did. 

Acinonyx and Amy

Acinonyx, 5 month old male white lion

Acinonyx, a.k.a Nonyx is a white lion that has been brought up in Cheetah Experience. He is the sweetest, most expressive, sad-faced white lion that you'll fall in love with instantly. White lions aren't common in the wild, and most of them are only found in captivity. They aren't albinos, but a genetic mutation from the regular gold/sand colored lion you see in Africa. The conventional wisdom is that white lions won't do well in the wild, because they aren't able to camouflage well in the sandy grasslands of Africa. However, at least one group is arguing that this isn't necessarily true because the white lions are native to the Timbavati region, where they were first discovered. The Timbavati region apparently has white, sandy river beds where these white lions are easily camouflaged. 

Nonyx loves playing with his Vicks ball

The name Acinonyx actually comes from the scientific name for the cheetah, acinonyx jubatus. And yes, there is another lion named Jubatus there at Cheetah Experience. 

Nonyx's Best Friend Forever is Amy, the caracal. 

Amy, a young female Caracal

Caracals are slightly larger than a regular domestic cat.  They are considered pests by farmer in South Africa because they would hunt sheep. They would kill multiple sheep and only eat one. They have fantastic hearing and are able to jump more than 4 feet vertically upward from a sitting position. But Amy is the caracal to defy that reputation. She warms your heart by playing around you and having the sweetest disposition. Nonyx and Amy are inseparable and when apart, you'll hear Nonyx frequently moaning for Amy in search of his BFF. 

Amy and Nonyx sleep in the house in the same room every night with a volunteer, and I had the privilege of spending a few nights with them during my stay. Every baby has its ritual, and Nonyx is no different. He likes to suck on fingers. Yes, fingers. It helps him fall asleep. 

And, yes he did! But a picture doesn't do it justice, so watch a video! Highlights: Amy watching as Nonyx does his thing; see what happens when he falls asleep and I try to pull my thumb out of his mouth. 

Jubatus and Achilles

Jubatus and Achilles are two male one-year old lions who spend a lot of their day hanging out in their little gazebo. They were brought up on Cheetah Experience, and keep a close relationship with the volunteers who helped raise them.

 The first thing that strikes you about these lions is how big they are. It's like meeting a cow, except with much sharper teeth, much more muscle and a whole lot of claws. At adulthood, these lions will weigh about 240 kg/530 lbs. These guys were about two-thirds of the way there.

Memphis and Moswell

Memphis and Moswell, 7 month old male lions

These two younger male lions were such fun, and a riot to have around. They were always up to some mischief, especially with Thato the Cheetah, with whom they shared a space.  

Apparently, lions have black tips on their ears and tail so that their pride can identify each other when they are stalking prey in the grasslands. Because they are hidden by the long grass, these tips are all that the pride members/mothers see of the little lions when they are out on the hunt. 

 As much fun as these guys were, I couldn't spend a lot of time with them because, frankly, they probably weighed as much as me, and were much stronger. They were affectionate little cats, but unlike the little babies, when they grab your jeans or your leg, you felt it! Towards the end of my stay though, I remember spending some time with them, and while Moswell (I think) jumped and pounced playfully/painfully on me, Memphis (I think) put his head on my lap and lay there while asking his brother to lay off so I would be able to sit still. So sweet. The bruises and scratches were worth it after all. 

Ava and Autumn

 Here's something you don't see everyday in Africa. Tigers are native to India, but some reserves in South Africa include tigers as well. We had these rambunctious 4-month olds. And boy, were they rowdy! There was never a dull moment with these energetic little ones.

 Tigers are the largest of the cat species, and they will grow up to weigh 340 kgs/750 lbs.  You could see it too, in these girls. They weren't very big, but they were strong, and their signature move was to pounce on you while your back was turned. Their jaws were also 3 times stronger than the lions, so every nip left a mark - quarter-sized bruises to be exact. Their paws were huge, especially given their age. The only way to thwart a playful/painful pounce was a good hard THWACK across their faces. It was hard for me to learn to do that, but trust me, a couple of bruises and rips later, I was hitting them as hard as I could bring myself to.

Ava and Autumn shared their home with Mischief, a young female leopard. They love playing with Mischief, except Mischief hates water, while these two tigers take to swimming and playing in water with great aplomb. 

Hope you enjoyed the triple-posting on Cheetah Experience. We will leave Cheetah Experience for now to a new topic in the next post! 

The Great Cheetah Experience (Part 2)

Cheetahs may be the focus of Cheetah Experience, but I spent as much time with other big cats while I was there. Two nine-week old lionesses, Jade and Je T'aime, took up most of time, since I was granted the responsibility of their 7 am morning feed, and cleaning up their nursery/bedroom in the morning.

Jade and Je T'aime




How could anyone not melt at the sight of these two little angels? Every morning, as we prepared their milk formula, you could hear them mewling and yowling away for their food. They were rambunctious little girls who loved human attention. Endlessly curious, they would rush up to investigate any new person or toy who entered their space. My leg, for one: 

Then there was my sleeve:

Occasionally, my head/hair:

The camera strap was a real hit, too:

Those of you who've seen me since Cheetah Experience would have noticed the "souvenirs" these girls left on my hands: 

To be clear, the scars didn't come from their teeth. You try taking an empty milk bottle away from a hungry baby lioness, and see what they do with their claws. 

There were so many great moments that I couldn't capture them all on camera, but here are some of the ones that I did, and I hope they bring you as many smiles as they bring me:

Some mornings, the cubs played in a yard outside my window, and they would constantly look in if they saw anyone in the room

Lion babies need sleep to grow strong too!

Once, Jade fell asleep on me, I was stuck there until she woke up. 

Other than milk, the babies were starting to take solid food. 

A portrait photo of Jade

You wouldn't believe how vocal these girls are:

Jade and Je T'aime have really grown since August! Track their progress and growth at Cheetah Experience's blog. 

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