Meeting Real Life Big Cats

So as most children will tell you, big cats are the BEST wild animals EVER because they're just so big and scary and fast and... You get my drift. Well if you've ever really wondered what the experience of meeting one of the worlds big cats is really like, here's my story.

On the 22nd July 2017, my partner Mark and I travelled to Wellington, New Zealand to meet Wellington Zoo's two Cheetah brothers, and only Cheetah residents. The brothers, Cango and Kunjuka, are one of a few types of animals at the zoo available for close encounters and honestly, seem pretty popular.

As you'd expect, when the day arrived the weather was gloomy, rainy, and just miserable (great) but even that didn't dampen our spirits because hey, how often do you get the opportunity to possibly die via cheetah-related incident? Those were exactly my thoughts as Mark, myself, the keeper, and one other man there for the encounter walked up the ridiculously steep hill that leads to the Cheetah enclosure.

We were assured that it was all "quite safe" and that there would be three keepers on hand at all times, one for us, and one for each of the Cheetah boys. We were told that the only problem they usually face is that when our allotted time (30 minutes) for the visit is over the brothers often don't like to leave the pen, and need to be distracted so that we can make our way out.

Now, if you're anything like me right now you'll be thinking "okay so a big cat visit, small room, cats on leads made of chain, no touching allowed, very strict situations because you know... lives are at stake." But oh, you would be wrong.

The Cutest Tail I've Ever Seen!

And possibly the nicest coat of a cat as well, other than some muddy paws. (It was winter.) The boys were exceptionally clean.

In fact, once we were seated in the enclosure (and asked not to stand until it was over) a door opened and the boys came bounding in of their own accord! They seemed lively and inquisitive and walked the edge of the enclosure before taking any notice of us at all. In all honesty, I was very glad that the encounters are run the way they are, the cats are free to do their own thing, come and go as they want, and aren't forced to interact with their visitors at all if they don't want to.

Luckily enough for us, Cango and Kunjuka were feeling super friendly the day of our visit and were right on our feet wanting pats and attention, and the face scratches that only their keepers are allowed to give them. The boys were absolutely magnificent, in every way. The moment they walked in was like every 6-year-old big-cat-lover's dream come true.

Their fur was soft on the black spots yet wiry on their golden hair and the purrs that emanated from them made your cat's purr sound like nails on a chalkboard. The sound was truly one of pure bliss, and one I could listen to on repeat for a lifetime. It was the strangest feeling to have one of Africa's most vulnerable big cats stand on your foot and look at you but what felt like straight through you at the same time.

And you can see why the cheetah is vulnerable. While it was nerve-wracking to have a wild creature pacing around you, there was also a moment in our encounter where one of the brothers lay in front of all of us, blocking his brother from being petted. Yet instead of pushing his way in or finding another advantage point, the shunned brother simply went and sat in the grass looking sombre, well, as sombre as a cat can look.

In case you didn't know, cheetahs in the wild are extremely threatened because of their size compared to other cats, and their non-confrontational personalities. They will quite often let their kill be taken by other predators rather than fighting for it, and though they are fast they don't run unless it's really necessary as it exhausts them. The beautiful boys I had the pleasure of meeting were like big house cats, cuddly, affectionate, inquisitive, and sulky when they didn't get their way, so to me, it was very obvious why others of their kind are in danger.

Wellington Zoo takes 10% of the costs from close encounters and donates it to the Wellington Zoo conservation fund, which helps animals all over the world, including the cheetah, whom they help through their Cheetah Outreach's Livestock Guarding Dog Project.

This isn't an ad for the zoo, or for the conservation projects, it was just one of my favourite points of the experience. Even though we got to have a great day and tick something off of my bucket list, we also did a tiny something to help out animals like the cheetah, and that feels amazing. (Not as amazing as scratching a real one behind the ears, but pretty damn close.)

Mark, Myself, and One of the Keepers Talking to Us About the Brothers

If you'd like to see a more in-depth view of the encounter, please check out the YouTube video I made of our trip; you'll see Mark, Myself, Cango and Kunjuka all up close and personal! (Less of us, more of the cheetahs, don't worry.)

We were being inspected by the prowling boys the whole time, but never felt threatened by them. The cats were very inquisitive as to who we were, and if how far we would lean to pat them!