Cheetahs!

The Reserve had a few cheetahs that were part of a rehabilitation program. The cheetahs were kept in an enclosure and were actually quite tame. They are used to people, having been raised as orphan cubs, and can be petted. One came right up to Cliff and licked his hand and cliff got to pat him as did Carol and Debra! I know Cliff will forever cherish his cheetah moment. They are beautiful cats! As the world's fastest land animal, they are able to run up to 70 mph in short spurts. They are said to be easily tamed and very loving. They have been kept by humans for around 5000 years, often trained for hunting. They purr (very loudly as we can attest!) and also hiss, and chirp.

Sadly, the cheetah is extremely endangered and one of the most vulnerable of the big cat species. Though they are a protected, their numbers in the wild and in captivity are declining. They are very sensive to habitat encroachment, often killed by poachers, and killed by farmers to protect livestock. The cheetah suffers from a lack of genetic diversity in the wild and in captivity. They do not breed easily in captivity (unlike most other wild cats). After seeing a cheetah up close and personal, I will be forever in love with these magnificent cats and will be sure to donate to cheetah conservation efforts.