The cheetah experience

The South African cheetah is the most numerous of the subspecies native to Southern Africa. Since 1986, it has been classified as Vulnerable by the IUCN. There were only 550 to 850 cheetahs left in South Africa in 2007.

The Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) says that the total population now ranges between 1,166 and 1,742 cheetahs in South Africa as at 2017. The South African cheetah have gone extinct in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Lesotho and Malawi.

This one pictured is a fully grown adult and the cheetah is the only big African cat that purrs like a domestic cat. This one was a lot bigger than our Raj and a different colour, but he did like being rubbed behind the ears. When the purring stops you consider moving away. This hands-on experience was an absolute treat for me and all cat lovers.