A volunteer at the Cheetah Experience in South
Africa, Dolph C. Volker, put out this extraordinary
video to illustrate the possibility of having an
affectionate relationship between a human and a big
cat. He writes, “Many people see Cheetahs hunting,
running, killing, resting, or raising their young in
documentaries, TV, or zoos. I wanted to show people
the up-close and personal side of Cheetahs. I was
pleasantly surprised how wonderful their
personalities can be. Cheetahs are not considered a
‘social’ cat but they love, display affection, love
attention (the tamed ones) and very interactive.”
The
footage you are about to view shows Volker with an
adult Cheetah named Eden, who has taken an
immediate liking to him, within a few days of
meeting. He said that he was able to “trust her
completely”, as Eden’s comfort with him increased.
His take on her treatment of him was reflective of her
experiencing him as another Cheetah. This included
the astounding behavior we get to view in this video
which Volker narrates as it takes place in front of our
eyes; “grooming, nibbling, biting, pacifying,
purring, laying on me, and sleeping… cuddling up
close to me. I’m amazed how much more interactive
and affectionate Cheetahs are compared to the
average domesticated cat.”
I have to say that although I found this video
captivating, I had to question Volker’s judgement in
laying down with Eden; at any moment she could get
carried away with her affection and bite him, without
meaning to hurt him. Volker talks about this,
although he believes that by listening to her purring
he was capable of gauging whether at any moment he
could be in danger.

www.sun-gazing.com/he-takes-a-nap-under-a-tree-when-a-loving-cheetah-decides-to-nap-and-cuddle-with-him/

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without clicking on the link.

I have an idea of what the video will be like.

However, my brothers here in Northern Nigeria does same with any large cat.