You know, the Cheetah. He would force his head into their hands and they would stroke Sylvester. Then the animals from the herd will act on instinct to attack and hurt Sylvester. We admit, so did we! You may already know that cheetahs are the world's fastest land animal. At least, he is given a nice home and seems to be treated well. Please look into the places where you will encounter an animal that truly belongs in the wild, whether that is elephants, lions, tigers, cheetahs, monkeys and more, they deserve to live a happy and free life like all of us. Tune in today to stay updated with all the latest news and headlines from the world of entertainment. After seven years of taking care of Sylvester, his trainers/handlers have learned how to read his moods and body language perfectly to ensure us that he is never stressed by his encounters with humans and that he has plenty of ‘cheetah time’ to himself. He never saw his mother and to this day, they believe that Sylvester has no idea he is a cheetah. A recent clip of a mother cheetah playing with her cubs is a testimony to it. It is very sad that he can return to the wild and even more sad that he does not even realize he is a cheetah! I am so happy you were able to make your dream come true, Christina, and find an ethical cheetah encounter Thank you for sharing Sylvester’s story. Unfortunately, no center would take volunteers for one day – understandable. These cookies do not store any personal information. It is sad that he will never know the life of a real cheetah though. We want that to be clear that during those times, we ALWAYS treated Sylvester with respect, we never forced him into the photos. It’s so hard to reconcile the beauty of these animals and the fact that they are locked up! It is very interesting to know that he may not even know that he is a cheetah. We stayed at the Elephant Camp (I am just as in love with elephants as you are with cheetahs) and hung out with Sylvester a couple times. While the cheetah may be able to run extremely fast in short bursts, humans will be able to run for longer. Trust us, we understand that it is very tempting to walk with lions, cheetahs or cuddle with cubs, but ask yourself the hard questions (as we did), about these animals’ origins, living standards and most importantly, their futures. If we can spread the word to everyone to truly be ethical whenever encountering animals it could really change the world. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. I’m hoping to visit Zimbabwe next year so have already looked at the Elephant Camp as an option to stay. A mother, whether human or animal, loves her children unconditionally, despite them being notorious or naive. Breed cubs! It's such a soothing, content feeling, when seeing the mother and cubs engrossed among themselves, fearless of any attack or predators ... Carefree - this should be the life for one & all beings ...
That’s such a great experience… I did something like that at the Canberra National Zoo a few years ago. Watch our full experience in the video below! Read: Forester Shares Video Of ‘coalition’ Of Cheetahs, Netizens Call It 'remarkable', Read: Two Cheetah Cubs Born Through Surrogacy For First Time In Ohio Zoo. Required fields are marked *. Though they are hard to find, ethical animal counters are out there. So pleased to read that this was done ethically. Instead they will live a life of confinement in circuses, zoos, unregulated private collections or worst of all, being sold to the canned hunting industry. We sometimes think that all animals should/could be like house pets and everything will be ok. We do hope people can get more educated, so we can all help change animal encounters. And what a life Sylvester has had. Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window). Again, please note that though we are making Sylvester’s story more well known and sharing our unique and ethical cheetah encounter experience, Victoria Falls Wildlife Trust and Wild Horizons Elephant Sanctuary do not market Sylvester as a “tourist experience”. I can’t believe that the cheetah actually licked your hand! It was a great ethical interaction and we cannot say enough good things about Elephant Camp and how they take care of Sylvester. But at the same, it leaves me feeling that this experience is only a self-serving one. They are so cute when they are little! They are great for learning about animals but at the same time they are bad for them as well. “Dogs can communicate with cheetahs in a way that we as humans simply cannot,” the staff writes. What an amazing experience to have , Yes! Cheetah (1989) A family film in the tradition of Born Free (1966), the Disney live-action adventure Cheetah takes viewers to the plains of Africa for a story of American kids in Kenya who adopt an orphaned cheetah cub. Sylvester instantly gave Christina the “okay” she can walk with me, turns out Christina is not only a cat whisperer, but a cheetah whisperer too. What an amazing experience! That is great that you have met Sylvester as well and know his story. He was so relaxed and happy that we took the opportunity to take a few more pictures to savor this incredible experience forever. Thanks for sharing! It was near the end of the walk when Sylvester was exhausted from his three mile walk. With Sylvester being the rare exception of an ethical cheetah encounter because of his story, Wild Horizons and Elephant Camp have made Sylvester a cheetah ambassador to help educate the community and tourists about animals and their natural habitat. A cheetah's teeth are small when compared with other big cats, which accommodates their larger nasal passages that enable quick air intake. They are good for learning about them but so bad for them at the same time. Cheetahs that require hand-rearing and prolonged medical treatment do not possess an adequate fear of humans for life in the wild, especially when their territories are increasingly likely to be shared by human settlements. The switch has been much more rewarding that we could ever have hoped, and based on this post, i’m sure you’d agree , We definitely agree! Cheetahs have slender, long-legged bodies with blunt, semi-retractable claws. Victoria Falls Wildlife Trust and Wild Horizons Elephant Sanctuary has created a safe and big enclosure within the Victoria Falls National Park for Sylvester that is monitored throughout the day and night. If it is extremely hot and Sylvester does not feel like walking, they do not make him walk. This act would entice the farmers to shoot and kill the predators. Leading up to our trip to Africa, we were naive and completely unaware of the outcome the predators had from an encounter. Cheetahs consume an average of 6-8 lbs. A few years ago, I had the opportunity to meet cheetahs in Namibia (at a cheetah farm not far from Etosha). I still cannot believe he just walked right up to me and licked me. Thank you for your nice comments. As travelers, we all have a responsibility to practice ethical behavior – thank you for the beautiful reminder. Human Interest Politics ... a Labrador retriever who enjoys playing and scrapping with the cheetah on top of providing emotional support. Now follow your favourite television celebs and telly updates. Yet that has also been a combination that makes humans fearful. It was a dream come true! They are known to be one of the most affectionate big cats when it comes to their relationships with humans. Extinction Is Forever. As humans, we tend to be selfish and when we want something, we tend to achieve it without a single thought about how it can affect someone else – in this case, predators. Tourists want to treat cheetah and lion cubs as a domestic pet, to cuddle with them, take selfies with them and more. They are fearless in the … DO YOUR RESEARCH! Cheetahs reach speeds of up to 113 km/h accelerating from zero to 96 km/h in 3s. In the wild, cheetah brothers from the same litter will generally stick together, so we mimic that social grouping in human care, too. It was then that one of the rangers named, Sylvester, decided to take in the remaining cub to the land owners, Norman and Penny English, who decided to name the cub after the ranger. Before our walk started we were explained to allow Sylvester to walk as he pleased, that he was the leader of the pack and to always stay close to the trainers in case a dangerous situation with other animals were to occur. Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. Revered for 5000 years throughout Asia, Europe and Africa has contributed to the species decline. Lastly, when tourists are allowed to handle and pet cubs, they are creating an environment where the cubs will become habituated to humans with severe consequences when they mature. We highly recommend you take a look at the list if you are considering an animal encounter. Wow! Just a few days ago I asked my husband how dog was in the wild before human domesticated them. Can watch it for hours, Read: 'Wonder Woman 1984' Director Patty Jenkins Teases Kristen Wiig's 'Cheetah', Read: IAF Cheetah Helicopter Makes Precautionary Landing On Expressway In Baghpat. Get the latest entertainment news from India & around the world. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. An excellent post and the point you make is so valid- humans are selfish when it comes to our wants and we all need to address our minds more carefully to whether our wants harm the animals, cultures or landscapes we are visiting. Instead, the primary Cheetah for most comic book fans is the third, Barbara Ann Minerva, introduced in 1987’s Wonder Woman (Vol. We met Sylvester a few years ago! We definitely do not take this experience for granted and since meeting Sylvester, we plan to be more involved in saving the cheetah species and never going to a zoo ever again. He was absolutely gorgeous! As humans, we tend to be selfish and when we want something, we tend to achieve it without a single thought about how it can affect someone else – in this case, predators. Despite several attempts from the rehabilitation, they never succeeded because Sylvester never learned how to make a kill – a skill that are taught to cubs by their mother. It was so heart breaking to say goodbye to Sylvester, he made Christina’s dream come true and opened our eyes even more to the importance of ethical animal encounters and the cheetah species. Hunt with your mate! When we returned to the meeting point with the rest of the trainers, Sylvester went up to each one of them and rubbed his head up against their legs. The English’s has a cat named, Spook, and Sylvester would grow up with Spook playing with him until Sylvester became too big. Mother's love &affection for her children is unconditional&cannot be measured by any means even in this age of Technology. 2) No. Some people may still frown upon our experience and think we are exploiting Sylvester, but that is not our intent. Thanks to articles like these, people can become more conscious and conscientious, and that..ultimately will bring a big change. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Christina had several one-way conversations with Sylvester, but from the look in his eyes, he seemed to enjoy her company and stories. It’s not often us humans can have these experiences and not have them affect the animals negatively. Even the fiercest and stealthy animals have best of motherly instinct feeling her cub's in a jaunty mood. Tourists want to treat cheetah and lion cubs as a domestic pet, to cuddle with them, take selfies with them and more. We were glad that he decided to take him home as well. For more information on Victoria Falls Wildlife Trust, Wild Horizons Elephant Sanctuary, Sylvester and how you can donate please use these links as referrals. UK approves Pfizer-BioNTech's COVID vaccine for mass rollout, inoculation begins next week, BSF team went 200m inside Pakistan examining terrorists' cross-border tunnel: Officials, Congress fires jibe as UK approves Covid Vaccine; asks 'will Indians be Aatmanirbhar? I am not sure how to feel about this post. Seeing animals in zoo is heartbreaking. Which Cheetah walk did you do. Glad I came across your blog and especially this post! Today, Wonder Woman director Patty Jenkins confirmed that the rumors were true: Kristen Wiig will be playing the WW sequel’s Big Bad, the Cheetah. Nevertheless, I think it is very important to educate the public about wildlife conservation and protection, through ethical encounters like these. This was an incredible experience. But did you know their tails play a crucial role in hunting? I’m glad that the ranger decided to take him home to the ranch so he got to live until today. When the rangers returned, they still found the cub in the same spot with his deceased siblings. It saves animals who can’t be released into the wild from being stuck in one place all day. But it was made very clear that all the cats – in the enclosure and the garden – were wild animals and that we should exercise great care in approaching them. Cheetahs are no different. We humans want to spoil the animals and even destroy their lives and habitats for our own little adventures, which really shows the immaturity at our part. I’m sure I’d be in tears if a cheetah came up to me and licked my hand. At this time the English’s sought help from Victoria Falls Wildlife Trust to try and rehabilitate Sylvester to go back into the wild. Christina also LOVES cheetahs, they are her favorite land animal in the whole world. As, many a times the lines get blurred when interacting with the wild, and as you have also called out several times in your post, sometimes knowingly and sometimes unknowingly, we end up harming them through our actions. However, after reading the full story I can also understand that he is not able to live on his own in the wild because of how he was raised. There were times when Sylvester would stop or go completely off the trail and we would follow ensuite even if that meant going through trees and shrubs. The Ultimate Guide to Swimming with Stingrays in the Grand Cayman on February 12, 2018. Loved reading about Sylvester. Sort of like the hare and the tortoise tale. Some even go as far as claiming they give donations to African cat research, but in reality they sell the animals to canned hunting. Friendly squirrel politely takes walnut from human's … Cheetahs were actually extremely common pets in ancient Egypt, were common hunting companions in the Middle East during medieval times — in fact saddles were made with special cheetah seats! For many years, wild predators have come across farms with livestock and killed them. In general, most large carnivores do not want to hunt or hurt humans because they are shy and want nothing to do with us. I’m so glad this article is about ethical encounters since so many people do it in the wrong way. We walked peacefully with Sylvester, stroking him softly (note their fur is not soft), and enjoying every second of the experience. We had a great time learning about his life and how tragic it started. The post has also racked about adorable comments from netizens who lauded the mother. I’m all for ethical interaction with wild animals, and I hate them being exploited by tourists, just to get a picture of them. We cannot stress enough how ethical this experience was. We appreciate your thoughts and comments. It was truly a once in a lifetime experience , Your email address will not be published. Norman and Penny took in Sylvester as their own and bottle fed him like they would for any other domesticated animal. Ha ha ha ... How will the food chain survive if that happens , So lovely n adorable. However, you will have to be very careful. — and Akbar the Great, ruler of the Mughal Empire in South Asia during the 16th century, was said to have kept as many as 1,000 trained cheetahs. His story is a sad one, but it does have a happy ending. Create family! But when it comes to their babies, their little cheetos, their love and adoration is clear as day, and it's so adorable and wholesome, it makes our hearts flutter. We only wish to acknowledge and educate those who may not know the harsh truth about animal encounters and of course, share Sylvester’s story. We need more people reiterating this message. Sadly, most places are tourist traps and treat the animals poorly. It is felt by all in the heart pic.twitter.com/Ftwkhw8I2t. They are gorgeous creatures! Nothing could be further from the truth. When the cubs were only 2-3 days old, eyes still closed, a lion came and attacked the mother and her cubs. I can understand that this may look like it’s an unethical tourist attraction with an animal. People with the Cheetah totem have a high capacity for empathy and know precisely how to respond to the hurt, pain, and suffering of others. These animals have amazing strength and power. We are happy to be able to share why this was an ethical cheetah experience, Sylvester’s story and more. Republic World is your one-stop destination for trending Bollywood news. It's common for animal rights activists, who aim to shut down zoos … Play as a Wild Cheetah in this beautiful animal simulator! For example, when they encounter farmers they may be wanting their human touch, but the farmers will shoot the cheetahs in fear of them killing their livestock. I’ve loved this magnificent animal as long as I can remember. I am glad that you had a great experience as well. We are not going to sit here and tell you how to travel, but after reading Sylvester’s story and our experience with him, we hope this gives you an insight on ethical animal encounters. They assessed the attack and decided to wait for the mother to return for her surviving cub. Their heads are small with high-set eyes. He genuinely happy interacted with humans, he treats his trainers as companions and lives a healthy life being able to still take walks in the national park – much much better than any life a zoo can give him. He is very domesticated and he genuinely enjoys human interaction. The story of Sylvester is really nice and deserves a spreading. Thank you for your comments. Victoria Falls Wildlife Trust The lion killed all but one cub and scared away the mother. Encountering a predator in its homeland of Africa is an experience a lot of people desire. Exercise is very important for Sylvester, so he will go on two walks every day. We were on Sylvester’s time and we were loving it. When it comes to felines, the Cheetah is one that many humans are fearful of. And thank you for sharing that Facebook group – definitely going to check out that list of places to check out and ones to avoid! A mother, whether human or animal, loves her children unconditionally, despite them being notorious or naive. The Cheetah is also closely related to the Lynx, Cougar, and Jaguar. Humans and Cheetahs. The truth though is that they are only surviving on instinct. In fact, you cannot find information about Sylvester very easily on the internet. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Sylvester came shortly after and he came straight to Christina and licked her hand – our cat, Tiramisu, doesn’t even lick her hand. They are amazing animals! Learn how your comment data is processed. Sometimes he would spot an impala and look at them and they would look back scared for their lives, but Sylvester would just shrug them off and carry on with his walk. I guess it is better than him being in a zoo. For human kids, kittens, cubs, chicks mother is God for them. Great post! We could do them more harm than good. A group of rangers happened to be in the area tracking rhinos when they came across a lone cub covered in blood. So we set out to find the next best thing, an ethical cheetah encounter. In fact, there is an annual Man vs Horse marathon in which humans and horses have been playing the tug of war for the first spot since 1980. Cheetah and Humans Relationship. Pingback: Sylvester is not meant to be a tourist attraction. The documentary "Cheetah House" follows a South African family that adopted two cheetahs. Oh my gosh you are bringing such a huge smile to my face. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. I’m a huge animal lover and have difficulty seeing wild animals in captive, being mistreated or even being pets. Yes, Sylvester will never be returned to the wild, but I feel that he is still being used to satisfy someone’s dream. They still remain wild, even though hand reared and that instinct is in them to protect themselves when in danger. Ya we have mixed emotions about zoos now. Check out these and other fun facts about cheetahs. Sylvester also helps raise awareness of his species as a cheetah and the challenges they face being on the endangered species list. Humans have been proven to be the most feared predator by the Cheetah. However, the trainers treat Sylvester with the same respect as any predator in the wild – he is the boss. This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We were very fortunate to be given special privileges to be able to enjoy a private walk with Sylvester without being guests of Elephant Camp. In fact, Sylvester will “catch” baby buffalos or impalas away from their herd and try to “play” with them, but will never kill them. I did a cheetah walk in South Africa a couple of years ago which I found to be ethical too. Do Cheetahs Attack Humans? We don’t feel we can go to a zoo anymore after hearing his story and going on Safari as well. Cubs need a lot of attention so you will need to feed them and play with them until they grow up. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. It made Tiramisu’s purrs sound like whispers. Mothers of all species are extremely indulgent with their babes . We walked alongside Sylvester, or we should say Christina walked alongside Sylvester, while Adam walked behind them to give Christina her moment. A total of nine of MIT’s “Mini Cheetah” bots took to the leaf-littered lawn to play a bit of soccer. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. But as they grow her importance diminishes in all except in humans (barring few). Like you, I’ve always wanted to pet and play with a cheetah cub. We hope this information gives you a new or better perspective of animal encounters and how they can be unethical. We knew Sylvester was in heaven because we heard him purr and it was so loud!!! When he would stop for beaks, the trainer (who was very kind to take a thousand photos for us), would encourage us to stand or sit behind Sylvester to get our photo taken with him. They NEVER make him do anything he does not want to do, they go on his time. Essentially, if Sylvester were to be returned to the wild, he would undoubtedly be killed by lions, hyenas, baboons or any herd of animals if abandoned in the bush. Still, I was very happy read your emphasis that you put on choosing ethical wildlife encounters, so well done and thank you. Book Your Next Trip With Sweet Adventures, https://www.oursweetadventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/large.m4v, A Valentine’s Day Gift Guide for Travelers, An Amazing Day Trip to Chobe National Park, What to Expect at Victoria Falls During Dry Season, Tongabezi – a Luxurious Tree House Lodge in Zambia, The Ultimate Guide to Swimming with Stingrays in the Grand Cayman, Slow Cooker Texas Pulled Pork - Recipe from a Born and Raised Texan, Authentic Seafood Risotto from Southern Italy, The 8 Best Wineries in Fredericksburg, Texas, The Best Banana Nut Bread - A 50-Year Family Recipe, How to Move Cross Country with Cats - Everything You Need To Know. Wildlife conservancy is so important, Great post! of food each day, and in some cases may go as long as 4-10 days with out water. Wild Horizons Elephant Sanctuary at Elephant Camp It was definitely a dream come true. Like you, once I started finding out the truth about “so-called animal experiences”, I’ve given them up for ethical encounters. Sylvester has been hurt so badly that the trainers from Wild Horizons Elephant Sanctuary has had to stitch his wounds quite often. The heartwarming clip was posted by IFS officer Susanta Nanda on May 1 who remarked that people cannot see or hear love but everybody could feel it in the heart. His story is shared so people may donate to help Victoria Falls Wildlife Trust care for him. Here is the thing, when cubs are pet like domestic animals, they can never be rehabilitated back into the wild. This must of been an awesome experience! Baby cheetah goes head-to-head with puppy. There were a few that lived in the family’s garden and we watched the feeding of a number of cheetahs in a large enclosure. The story of Sylvester is really touchy. Raising Sylvester. The walk with Sylvester was the most surreal and tranquil experience. If he wants to do it or not doesn’t really matter. Yes, we can strongly confirm Sylvester lives a happy life as a domesticated cheetah. The short clip which surfaced on Twitter, shows two cubs jumping and biting their mother mischievously while she gently caresses them. A black tear mark runs from the inner corner of each eye down to the mouth. Such an eye-opening post, especially the part about the hard questions related to the safety and living standards of the animals. This is just amazing! Raise your own Cheetah Family! When the Species Survival Plan (SSP) scientists recommend that a female like Echo is a good match for a set of brothers equally, the cheetah team lets personality and behavior decide which male will be her mate. Adults have yellow or tan short, coarse fur with solid black round or oval spots measuring 0.75 … Yes, it is sad because he is a wild animal but this is the life that was given to him due to the circumstances. We definitely think about ourselves first which is sad. Making people more conscious about their actions with animal encounters was one point we really wanted to make. Energetic puppy spins in a perfect circle while playing indoors We can say without a doubt that he is very happy and that he “purrs” when interacting with humans. Two things about Christina: when she has her heart and mind made up, she does NOT GIVE UP on achieving what she wants. Huge and dangerous desert is waiting to be explored! We were blessed to be able to meet him and learn from him and his experience. He laid down on the ground and rolled around in the dirt. Click here to access the list and click here to access the Facebook group. Although cheetahs are not usually relaxed around humans, Gat, an 8-year-old at Smithsonian’s National Zoo was hand-raised by zoo keepers and is very comfortable in their presence. OMG I would have been beyond thrilled! Over 80% live outside protected areas where human … We should be asking ourselves… how is this benefiting him? It is illegal under Somaliland law to have cheetahs … The pups are so cute! We always have to be careful when interacting with any wild animal. When we decided to go to Africa, one reason was to live out Christina’s dream of volunteering at a cheetah rehabilitation center. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. In fact, I can’t even go to a zoo, without balling my eyes out! I viewed your video and I am so touched. For more GMA, click here: http://gma.yahoo.com/ Sylvester’s story was very moving. I absolutely loved reading this. Cheetah Totem, Spirit Animal. These factors will play into affect once they are around the age of six months when they are too big, strong and potentially dangerous, after all they are predators. I would love to something like this in the future! The short clip which surfaced on Twitter, shows two cubs jumping and biting their mother mischievously while she gently caresses them. During our research we came across a Facebook group that supports and provides information of places you should and should not visit or volunteer at. Today’s wild cheetah population is estimated at 7100 adult and adolescents, a 90% reduction from a century ago, and a range reduction of 9%. Sometimes we need to get out of our own way and look at it from a different perspective. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. A recent clip of a mother cheetah playing with her cubs is a testimony to it. I think we were looking at one in SA as well. Only guests at Elephant Camp are given the opportunity to meet and walk with Sylvester. Since Sylvester has become a cheetah, Zimbabwe has seen an increased improvement between the wild animals and the locals/farmers. Sylvester is meant to live a happy life with the one he has been given while creating an opportunity for tourists and locals to have a better understanding of a healthy relationship between them and the wild animals. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. He has a tragic story but his life has been lived to the fullest thanks to that team. After four days, Sylvester finally opened his eyes to only see people and other domesticated house animals. Wow – what an amazing and special experience you guys had! Thank you for your nice comments. Though we went for the elephants, our experience with Sylvester was one of the greatest we’ve had. When we learned, we made it a point to find an ethical cheetah encounter and we encourage you to do the same. The post has received over 6,344 likes and more than 4,200 views in just a few hours. Upgrade home! Live with your mate and cubs in a beautiful home (no one will disturb you there!) Wow so jealous you got to experience! It was one of the most magical moments of my life. Not a very easy experience to find, but with Christina’s tenacity, we found Sylvester. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. ', Video of Cheetah playing with her cubs breaks internet, netizens all hearts, Forester Shares Video Of ‘coalition’ Of Cheetahs, Netizens Call It 'remarkable', Two Cheetah Cubs Born Through Surrogacy For First Time In Ohio Zoo, 'Wonder Woman 1984' Director Patty Jenkins Teases Kristen Wiig's 'Cheetah', IAF Cheetah Helicopter Makes Precautionary Landing On Expressway In Baghpat. Your email address will not be published. As an ambassador now, I’m glad that he’s raising awareness, though it is sad to hear that he’ll never be a true cheetah. You’ve told his story and the work being done on his behalf so thoughtfully. UP NEXT. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Sylvester is an orphaned cheetah who lives at the Wild Horizons Elephant Sanctuary, operated by Victoria Falls Wildlife Trust and is next to Elephant Camp in Zimbabwe. Is it worth the selfie to know in a year that the animal may be shot for hunting or confined in a life they never deserved? I really applaud that you have done your research and are trying to raise awareness about the importance of choosing an ethical encounter with a wild animal. The Cheetah is considered Endangered in Appendix 1 to the Conservation Of International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). Thanks for sharing Sylvester’s story and for so diligently pointing out that predators are not meant to be cuddly toys or photo ops! In 2010 in the Lowveld area of Zimbabwe, there were five cubs and their mother. We didn’t do an arranged walk with him, but ran into him on one of his walks while we were out on a bushwalk. There has also been poaching around National Parks. We didn’t actually see any elephants at elephant camp surprisingly but it seemed like a very nice place. There are stories that circulate about them being man eating hunters. Two 8-week-old cheetah cubs were rescued from a village near Erigavo, Somaliland by the Ministry of Environment & Rural Development (MoERD). NOW PLAYING: Trending Curious cheetah cubs wrestle and play at zoo nursery Wild Times at the San Diego Zoo.