Not quite a tiger....this cat is at least approachable.
It's a cheetah and I had the wonderful experience of meeting her live, in person and very up-close.
This opportunity to pet an endangered wild animal came courtesy of the National Zoo & Aquarium here in Canberra. They have a "Meet A Cheetah" scheme which, for a modest payment, allows an individual to spend about 20 minutes with one of these beautiful creatures, accompanied by two keepers.
My wife gave me a gift certificate for our wedding anniversary at the end of September and, after the school holidays were over, I booked the visit for a Saturday afternoon a couple of weeks ago.
All visits are made between 2:00 and 4:00 PM (the animals are fed in the morning) and children under 12 are not permitted........the reason became clear later on.
There are four cheetahs in the enclosure - three were in one area and the fourth (pictured) - a female - was in a separate section.
The three together were a bit unsettled - patrolling the perimeter and not settling down - so the keepers opted for the female in her own enclosure. She was more relaxed, allowing for a more successful meeting.
It was amazing to be stroking and petting what is the Ferrari sports car of the animal world, capable of speeds up to 110 kph for 20 to 30 seconds.
I was really captivated by the cheetah and astounded by the loudness of the purr. Apparently it is the only wild cat to purr - lions, tigers etc. don't have this ability. The noise sounds like an outboard motor!
I asked the question, "Why can we get up close and personal with the cheetah when we can't do it with other cats" and the answer was very simple - we (adult humans) are too large and slow to be seen as prey. Note the adult reference; children - particularly small, young children - are just the right size and have just the right behaviour (excitable, nervous, jumpy) to be considered by the cheetah as a viable food source.
(All photos Sony DSC-F717, by animal keeper)
The visit came to an end all too quickly - twenty minutes had passed before I knew it.
A fascinating and, as the advertisements for the Zoo say, a "touching" experience!
It's a cheetah and I had the wonderful experience of meeting her live, in person and very up-close.
This opportunity to pet an endangered wild animal came courtesy of the National Zoo & Aquarium here in Canberra. They have a "Meet A Cheetah" scheme which, for a modest payment, allows an individual to spend about 20 minutes with one of these beautiful creatures, accompanied by two keepers.
My wife gave me a gift certificate for our wedding anniversary at the end of September and, after the school holidays were over, I booked the visit for a Saturday afternoon a couple of weeks ago.
All visits are made between 2:00 and 4:00 PM (the animals are fed in the morning) and children under 12 are not permitted........the reason became clear later on.
There are four cheetahs in the enclosure - three were in one area and the fourth (pictured) - a female - was in a separate section.
The three together were a bit unsettled - patrolling the perimeter and not settling down - so the keepers opted for the female in her own enclosure. She was more relaxed, allowing for a more successful meeting.
It was amazing to be stroking and petting what is the Ferrari sports car of the animal world, capable of speeds up to 110 kph for 20 to 30 seconds.
I was really captivated by the cheetah and astounded by the loudness of the purr. Apparently it is the only wild cat to purr - lions, tigers etc. don't have this ability. The noise sounds like an outboard motor!
I asked the question, "Why can we get up close and personal with the cheetah when we can't do it with other cats" and the answer was very simple - we (adult humans) are too large and slow to be seen as prey. Note the adult reference; children - particularly small, young children - are just the right size and have just the right behaviour (excitable, nervous, jumpy) to be considered by the cheetah as a viable food source.
(All photos Sony DSC-F717, by animal keeper)
The visit came to an end all too quickly - twenty minutes had passed before I knew it.
A fascinating and, as the advertisements for the Zoo say, a "touching" experience!
