Visit A Cheetah Sanctuary

Joseph

Cheetahs are beautiful spotted felines that are sadly on the endangered list.  There are several factors that have put these big cats onto the endangered list, low sperm count, inbreeding, and cheetah cubs having difficulty surviving attacks of bigger predators.  

At the beginning of the 20th Century, an estimated 100,000 cheetahs roamed the world, now only 7,500 are left, and less than 1,000 of those are found in South Africa.  A huge percentage of living cheetahs are part of conservation programs.

There are many cheetah conservation programs all over the world, and while wine tasting in Stellenbosch, South Africa I was able to visit one!  Talk about killing two birds with one stone!

On the grounds of Spier Winery is an outreach program for Cheetahs.  The cheetahs at Spier have been orphaned, and several of them having grown up there.  They also have a program to educate others, including bringing the cheetahs to schools to educate youth on the importance of cheetah conservation.

I am always skeptical visiting places like these, mainly because of known stories of animal abuse, and several gimmicks to make one solitary man filthy rich.  I didn't visit a lion "sanctuary" in Zimbabwe for this very reason.

The sanctuary was large, clean, and the trainers seemed to truly love the animals.  

For less than $20, I was able to enter the sanctuary, and experience a close encounter with one of the cheetahs. 

Before entering the sanctuary we had to wash our hands, and put all our belongings (except for our cameras) into lockers. 

We first attempted to visit an eagerly excited cheetah named Joseph, but after 15 minutes of waiting for Joseph to settle down, the trainer called it quits and decided we should try visiting another Cheetah.

We then went to go visit two year old Phoenix.   His trainer was by his head trying to make him relax.  I called him the Cheetah Whisperer. 

When we entered his enclosure we were brought to the opposite corner of his cage.  One by one we got a chance to pet Phoenix and take a photo with him.

For lack of a better phrase to sum up the experience, IT WAS SOOO COOL!  Phoenix purred as I slowly brushed his body, and as you could see I had a huge grin on my face rather than a look of utter terror.  To me, it was not scary at all, this is coming from a person that would run away from all animals as a child up until college!  The trainers had our safety in mind, so that helped settle any nerves.  Keep Calm and Carry On.

Since my visit, the Outreach Program has since moved to Somerset West.

Oh, and according to their website, Phoenix and Joseph are still alive and doing well.  :)

Date Accomplished:  September 5th, 2010